What is Thyroid?
Thyroid is a type of endocrine gland, located in the neck inferior to thyroid cartilage, in the human body. The thyroid glands are considered as largest gland in the body and their location is just on the same level to the cricoid cartilage. The hypothalamus and pituitary gland controls the growth of the thyroid.
The thyroid produces thyroid hormones, like thyroxine and triiodothyronine, which further help thyroid in controlling fast energy burning, protein making, and controlling the reaction of other hormones in the body. Specifically, the hormones produced by thyroid help in controlling the metabolism rate and growth of the body by protecting it from ill-effects of other system. Other than this, the gland produces calcitonin hormone that help in calcium homeostasis. And, iodine is the main concentration of the hormones produced by the gland.
Every part or biological unit in the body needs to maintain balance in its functioning and concentration. Every time when a body part starts showing some imbalance, the body starts showing reactions by falling ill, resulting in some medical complications. Same case applies with the thyroid gland also here, over secretion of thyroid hormones result in hyperthyroidism and less secretion result in hypothyroidism.
These two medical complications and conditions lead to several diseases in the body, affecting around 2% to 20% of the population worldwide. A number of diseases caused by under secretion of thyroid hormones, hypthyrodism, like:
Thyroiditis: It occurs due to the inflammation of thyroid gland and affects the person along with fever and a sore throat. If a person is suffering from sore throat, swallowing becomes a bit difficult and painful for the person. Neck aches and pain in the body can occur due to inflammation and by touching it. In pregnant women case, the thyroid leaked by the inflammation mix or accumulate with white blood cell in the blood and causes lymphocytic thyroiditis just after the delivery. It can remain till 6 months after the delivery of a child.
1. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or thyroiditis
2. Ord’s thyroiditis
3. Postpartum thyroiditis
4. Silent and acute thyoiditis
5. Iatrogenic hypothyroidism
6. Resistance in thyroid hormone
7. Euthyroid sick syndrome
Diseases or complications like thyroid storm, Graves’ disease, Toxic thyroid nodule, Toxic nodular struma, Hashitoxicosis, Iatrogenic hyperthyroidism, and De Quervain’s thyroiditis happen in the case of hyperthyroidism or the condition when the level of thyroid hormones secretion rise above the limit.
Other than this, hormones cause some anatomical complications and tumors in the body.
Anatomical complication includes:
1. Goiter: Categorized under three categories like Endemic goiter, diffuse goiter, and multinodular goiter.
2. Lingual thyroid and thyroglossal duct cyst
The above mentioned are certain diseases caused by hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. But, sometimes deficiencies of thyroid can also result in to a medical problem, named cretinism.
Symptoms of Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism
Hypothyroidism occurs to people of all ages including infants, children and adults. More or less the symptoms are similar to each other but the occurrence and behavior depends on the age it is affecting.
A) In infants, the general symptoms include
1. Constipation
2. Taking less feed or less hunger
3. Improper growth and development
4. Jaundice: It can be detect by looking in the eyes and skin of the baby in sunlight
5. Tiredness in the body: Baby shows signs of extra tiredness
B) In children, the symptoms include:
1. Constipation
2. Fatigue and feeling exhausted
3. Feeling chilled or sensation towards cold weather increases
4. Poor growth
5. Poor performance in study: Proper growth and development of the baby can be easily detected by looking at its performance in school. Hence, if the baby is not doing well in the school due to some medical reasons then one can detect for thyroid problem.
C) In adults, the symptoms include:
All the symptoms given in children part.
Other than this, carpal tunnel syndrome is detected. In this, the patient feels cold in his hands with numbness, generally, caused by nervousness.
Some more symptoms are seen in some later cases including:
Dry skin, hair fall, loosing weight or gaining weight depending on the condition, puffy eyes, poor concentration, etc.
In ladies, irregular menstruation cycle is seen
The symptoms of hyperthyroidism can be detected in children and adults.
A) In children the symptoms include:
1. Nervousness
2. Strong sensation towards hot and cold temperatures
3. Poor performance in school: Reason is same as given in hypothyroidism
4. Change in behavior
B) The symptoms of hyperthyroidism in adults include:
All the symptoms given in children section
1. Sometimes insomnia can occur
2. Large number of bowel movements
3. Pain in the body, especially, in joints
In ladies no menstruation cycle
Poor concentration, etc.
C) The symptoms of hyperthyroidism in old people include:
1. People who have problem of heart diseases are m ore prone to have high pain in their chest.
2. Sometimes, heart failure can happen due to inconvenience in breathing
3. Joint and muscle pain
Causes of Thyroid Problems
Hypothyroidism: a condition when less amount of thyroid hormones are produced. Further, it occurs due several reasons like:
Mainly, the problem occurs due to thyroid gland only, but, sometime some problem in pituitary gland in brain can also cause hypothyroidism.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is one among the reasons that causes hypothyroidism by inflammating the thyroid gland. The thyroiditis is related to autoimmune disorder where by mistake, the antibodies attack the health cells of the body.
Treating hyperthyroidism can also result in hypothyroidism because in it some medicines are given to control the secretion of hormones in the body. But, sometimes, shortage of thyroid hormones occurs resulting in another problem called hypothyroidism.
Similarly, treatment of thyroid tumors can also lead to hypothyroidism
Overexposure to radiation can also lead to this condition
Then, another form of thyroiditis like postpartum (occurring in pregnant women after delivery) and subacute thyroiditis also causes hypothyroidism.
Hyperthyroidism: in this condition over secretion of thyroid hormones is seen.
It causes due to several reasons like:
1. Graves’ disease: An autoimmune disease caused by over activity of the thyroid gland. The disease grows in the blood of the patient in the form of antibodies like thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI), thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO) and TSH receptor antibodies.
2. Functioning adenoma and toxic multinodular goiter is the second reason behind hyperthyroidism. In this, thyroid gland which is not producing thyroid hormones become autonomous and the one which is producing hormones becomes functional nodule. If there is more than one nodule then it becomes case of multinodular goiter.
3. Sometime people who take thyroid drugs take more dosage of drugs because of ignorance. This condition leads to production of extra thyroid hormones in the body resulting in hyperthyroidism.
4. Imbalance secretion of TSH also causes hyperthyroidism.
5. Then like in hypothyroidism, thyroiditis is again a reason behind hyperthyroidism.
Diagnosis of Thyroid Problems
1. Blood tests: Doctors recommend blood tests to detect the level of TSH, autoantibodies, thyroglobulin, TBG and transthyretin in the blood of the patient.
2. Ultrasound: Ultrasonography is done to detect benign and malignant nodules in the thyroid gland. There are specific characteristics of each nodule like malignant nodule has irregular border, whereas, benign have smooth. Malignant nodule is hypoechoic, whereas, benign is hyperechoic. Other than this, malignant nodules have microcalcification, and are taller in shape. Occurrence of malignant nodules increases the chance of having cancer in the gland.
Treatment of Thyroid Problems
1. Medication: Several antithyroid drugs such as, methimazole and propylthiouracil are prescribed to doctors to control thyroid. The development of thyroid hormones is controlled and checked by the drugs. But, there are some side effects of these drugs like they can also suppress the production of white blood cell in the blood. The condition can take to occurrence of some autoimmune disease. Hence, it is wide to analyze whether some side-effects like some fever or pain in the body is effects are occurring or not. Consult the doctor ASAP as you start receiving positive result from these side-effects. The doctor will change your medicine or balance the dosage of the medicine to recover body from the condition.
2. Radioactive iodine: Radioactive iodine ablation is done to treat hyperthyroidism in the thyroid gland.
3. Surgery: Partial removal of thyroid gland is done to remove thyroid tissue producing extra thyroid hormones. The basic reason is that it is done to treat hyperthyroidism. But extra care should be taken in removing extra tissues, as sometime some surrounding glands surrounding thyroid glands get removed by the surgery. This can lead to reduction in calcium level in the body, demanding calcium replacement therapy. It is considered to useful for the patient like pregnant ladies and children, who are allergic to antithyroid drugs.
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