Thyroid: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and treatment
July 29, 2022 | by Yashaswi Pathakamuri | Posted in Diseases
Thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that is located below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid gland is one of the most important organs in the body. It releases hormones that control metabolic rate and growth. Thyroid hormone is crucial for children, pregnant women, and people with diabetes to maintain their health and normal function.
In case of thyroid malfunction or deficiency, it can lead to a variety of symptoms such as weight gain, hair loss, fatigue and mood swings.
The thyroid is an important part of our body, but it can be difficult to understand what it does and how it works. This article will help you understand more about the thyroid and how you can maintain a healthy thyroid.
What is Thyroid?
Thyroid is an important endocrine gland that secretes hormones to control growth and development, and cognitive function. The thyroid hormone also plays an important role in cardiovascular health.
If your body makes too much thyroid hormone, you can develop a condition called hyperthyroidism. If your body makes too little thyroid hormone, it’s called hypothyroidism. Both conditions are serious and need to be treated by your healthcare provider.
The thyroid is one of the most important endocrine glands in the body. It also helps to regulate other glands such as your adrenal, pituitary, and parathyroid glands.
The thyroid gland is made up of two lobes connected by an isthmus. The left lobe produces thyroxine (T4) and the right lobe produces triiodothyronine (T3). T4 and T3 are both converted into another hormone called thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG).
The thyroid gland is made up of two lobes, which are located at the front and back of the neck. It is often found in mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish and some invertebrates.
There are three types of thyroid glands:
- Anterior Lobe: This is the front lobe of the thyroid gland located behind the larynx.
- Posterior Lobe: This is the back lobe of the thyroid gland located in front of the larynx.
- Sublingual: This is a small, underdeveloped thyroid gland that develops on top of each human’s tongue, which may be present in people who have undergone radiation therapy for cancer or infections such as rubella.
What Does the Thyroid Do?
The thyroid gland can be found just below the Adam’s apple and it has two lobes that are connected by a narrow band of tissue, known as the isthmus. The thyroid gland produces thyroxine, which helps regulate your metabolic rate and body temperature.
The thyroid is an important part of the endocrine system, which consists of glands that produce hormones. It secretes thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which are hormones. T3 is converted into active T4 by the enzyme thyroperoxidase. These hormones regulate metabolism by controlling how much energy is used by cells in different parts of the body.
The thyroid also produces calcitonin, which helps to regulate calcium levels in the blood; parathyroid hormone, which helps to regulate calcium levels in bones; calcitonin gene-related peptide, which helps to regulate calcium levels in bones and kidneys; and thyroglobulin, which helps to regulate iodine levels in the body.
What is Thyroid Disease?
Thyroid disease is a condition that occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. The symptoms of thyroid disease vary depending on the severity of the disease. It can be caused by an autoimmune disorder, radiation therapy, or surgery.
Thyroid disease is most common in women and can lead to weight gain, tiredness, and difficulty concentrating.
Thyroid disease can affect people of all ages, but it is most common in women. It is also more common in people over the age of 60. Some risk factors for thyroid disease are weight, family history, and genetics.
Thyroid disease is one of the most common endocrine disorders in adults, with over 80% of adults developing it during their lifetime. The thyroid gland is located in front of the windpipe on either side of your neck and makes hormones that regulate your metabolism and body temperature.
Causes
Thyroid disease is a common disorder that affects the thyroid gland in the neck. One of the most common causes for thyroid disease is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. This autoimmune disorder occurs when antibodies attack and destroy cells in your thyroid gland.
Autoimmune disorders are caused when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues as if they were foreign invaders. It’s estimated that 40% of people with thyroid disease have an autoimmune disorder.
Thyroid disease has a wide range of causes, which is why it is difficult to diagnose. The most common causes are autoimmune disease, viral infections, and radiation exposure.
Symptoms
Thyroid disease is a condition where the thyroid gland produces too much or too little of the hormone thyroxin. It is a common condition that has many symptoms.
Symptoms of Thyroid Disease:
- Fatigue, especially after exercise
- Weight gain
- Feeling cold all the time
- Feeling like you are always hungry
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Dizziness
- Dry skin
- Hair loss
- Swelling in the face, fingers, hands or feet
- Heart palpitations and chest pains
Symptoms of thyroid disease may be present in mild to severe cases. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to visit your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
Diagnosis and Tests
Thyroid disease is most commonly diagnosed by a physical examination of the neck and an estimation of thyroid hormone levels in the blood. Thyroid function can be tested with a blood test or by performing an ultrasound of your neck.
If you have been diagnosed with thyroid disease, you might be wondering which test is right for you. There are several tests that can be used to detect the presence of thyroid disease.
The following are some of the most common tests for thyroid disease:
- Stimulated thyroglobulin (S-Tg) test: This test is commonly used to measure TSH levels and check for signs of hyperthyroidism. It is also used to measure thyroid antibodies in the blood and rule out or diagnose autoimmune hypothyroidism.
- T4/T3 uptake test: This can be done with a radioactive iodine I131 injection or an oral dose of T4/T3 followed by a blood draw. The results show how well your body absorbs these hormones, so it can be useful in assessing thyroid function.
- Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test: The TSH test is typically done with a blood draw and measures how much thyroxine your body is making at a given time. This can help assess your thyroid function, as well as whether you have an underactive or overactive thyroid.
- The Thyro Check test: It uses a single drop of blood from your finger to analyze thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) levels based on a hormone profile. It has been approved for use by the FDA for diagnosing thyroid disease in adults and children over six years old.
The Thyro Check test is a simple blood test that provides information about your thyroid hormone levels without requiring you to be seen in a doctor’s office.
Treatment
Treatment for this disease includes medication and surgery to remove the thyroid gland. The treatment for this condition is to take medication prescribed by your doctor. This medication will regulate your thyroid function and help you feel better in the long run.
Treatment for thyroid disease includes lifestyle changes like diet and exercise. There are also some natural ways to treat it such as acupuncture and herbal remedies.
The most common treatment for thyroid disease is medication, but sometimes surgery or radioactive iodine therapy are needed.
Foods to be Taken
A diet for thyroid disease should be low in sugar and salt as well as high in proteins, healthy fats and fiber.
There are many foods that can help the thyroid function better. In fact, some of them have been used for thousands of years to improve thyroid health.
It is important for people with thyroid disease to know what foods to eat and which foods to avoid in order to maintain their health.
The following list is a list of some popular foods that are good for your thyroid:
- Sea vegetables such as kelp
- Fatty fish like anchovies
- Oats
- Broccoli
- Eggs
- Bananas
- Quinoa
- Almonds
- Apples
- Brown rice
In general, a diet rich in iodine and selenium helps to regulate the thyroid. The foods recommended for thyroid disease are milk products and seafood. They are high in iodine content and other nutrients that help to maintain proper function of the thyroid gland.
Some people might have noticed that they have difficulty losing weight or feeling energetic after adopting a vegan diet. These symptoms are due to the lack of iodine in their diet and could be alleviated with food supplements.
The patient should be placed on a low-iodine diet before surgery, and should avoid foods with high iodine content such as kelp, seaweed, and seafood during this time. After surgery, patients are advised to drink plenty of fluids so that their urine does not become concentrated with iodine. They also need to avoid drinking alcohol during this time due to its high concentration of iodine.
Also read: Is Coriander seed water Beneficial for Thyroid?
Summary
Thyroid disease is a common condition that is characterized by an overproduction of thyroid hormone. The most common cause of thyroid disease is from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland.
Thyroid disease can be treated with medication and lifestyle changes such as dieting, weight loss, and exercise.
If you suspect you might have thyroid disease, it is important to get it checked out by a doctor as soon as possible.