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What are the most common symptoms of the most common thyroid disorders that I might experience?
- Hypothyroidism: tiredness, feeling cold, weight gain, poor concentration, depression.
- Hyperthyroidism: weight loss, heat intolerance, anxiety, and, sometimes, sore and gritty eyes.
Sometimes there are very few symptoms. A blood test from your doctor will confirm whether or not you have a thyroid disorder.
What other disorders are there?
- Thyroid eye disease – this affects some people who have an overactive thyroid due to Graves’ disease.
- Nodules or swellings – these lumps can stop the thyroid gland from working properly, or are simply uncomfortable.
- Thyroid cancer – this is very rare, but it is important to ask your doctor to check any lump in your neck.
- Having a baby can sometimes trigger a thyroid disorder. This is known as post-partum thyroiditis. It is usually temporary but can return each time you have a baby.
How is my thyroid gland controlled?
There has to be some sort of mechanism that regulates very carefully the amount of T4 and T3 secreted by your thyroid gland so that the right - the normal - amounts are manufactured and delivered into the blood stream. The mechanism is very similar to that which regulates the central heating in a house where there is a thermostat in, say, the living room, which is set to a particular temperature and which activates the gas- or oil-fired furnace, or boiler that heats the hot water. In the case of the thyroid the ‘thermostat’ consists of a little gland, called the pituitary gland that lies underneath your brain in your skull. The pituitary senses the level of thyroid hormones in your blood stream, just as the thermostat in your living room senses the temperature. Under normal circumstances, if the level drops just a little below normal, the pituitary reacts by secreting a hormone called the thyroid stimulating hormone, also known as TSH, and this hormone activates the thyroid gland to put out more T4 and T3.
Conversely, when the thyroid hormone levels rise above normal the ‘thermostat’ senses this and the pituitary stops secreting TSH so that the thyroid gland stops working so hard and the secretion of T4 and T3 is reduced.
What causes a thyroid disorder?
There are many different causes of the different thyroid disorders. Most commonly the cause is due to autoimmune thyroid disease - a self-destructive process in which the body’s immune system attacks the thyroid cells as though they were foreign cells. In response the thyroid gland becomes underactive (hypothyroidism) or overactive (hyperthyroidism). You may find that other members of your family have thyroid problems or another autoimmune disorder.
How are thyroid disorders diagnosed?
Your doctor will be able to get a good idea about the activity of your thyroid gland by listening to your symptoms, asking you some questions and by examining your neck. However, by taking a small sample of your blood he or she can assess exactly your thyroid secretory state. On this single sample of blood, for example, the levels of the hormones involved can be measured in the laboratory. By this means it is possible to find out if too much or too little T4 and/or T3 is being secreted, and how active the pituitary is by measuring the TSH. A single blood test will normally confirm the diagnosis, but sometimes other tests are required.
Can thyroid disorders be treated?
Yes – your thyroid disorder and many of the symptoms, too, can be treated. Most thyroid disorders are treated with daily medication. There are other treatments for those thyroid disorders that cannot be controlled with medication. You can read more details under the specific thyroid disorders.
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