Hyperthyroidism: what is it?
Hyperthyroidism
is a medical condition affecting the thyroid gland,
which is a hormone-producing gland located inside the
neck, just below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid gland
produces to related thyroid hormones containing iodine,
thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine, which are responsible
for the regulation of the body’s metabolism (the rate at
which the body produces energy from nutrients), as well
as for controlling tissue oxygen consumption and body
heat production.
The production of hormones from the thyroid gland
is regulated by another hormone-producing gland, the
pituitary gland, which is located under the brain. More
specifically, the pituitary gland produces a hormone,
called TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) which
stimulates the thyroid gland to become more active and
to increase the production of thyroid hormones. However,
when the blood levels of thyroid hormones are
sufficiently high, the pituitary gland stops secreting
TSH, so that the thyroid gland returns to its normal
activity.
The delicate balance between the secretion of TSH
by the pituitary gland and thyroid hormones by the
thyroid gland is profoundly affected in patients with
hyperthyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland
is overactive and produces amounts of hormones much
greater than normal.
The different causes for
hyperthyroidism.
The most common is Grave’s disease, an
autoimmune disease in which the immune system produces
an antibody with TSH-like activity. In other words, this
antibody mimics the action of pituitary TSH, by
stimulating the thyroid gland to produce and release (in
an uncontrolled manner) thyroid hormones. Other possible
causes for hyperthyroidism include thyroid or pituitary tumors, the inflammation of the thyroid gland (called
thyroiditis), excessive iodine intake and overuse of
thyroid hormone medication.
Because thyroid hormones act on all the body
tissues, hyperthyroidism symptoms involve many body
systems and functions and can include: weight loss,
muscle weakness, fatigue, rapid heartbeat, diarrhea,
intolerance to heat, vision problems, hand tremors and
irritability.
Treatment of hyperthyroidism depends on the cause
and severity of the condition. Possible treatment
options include anti-thyroid medications and/or
beta-blockers, radio-iodine therapy and thyroid surgery.
In any case the primary goal of treatment is to restore
thyroid hormone levels to normal and prevent possible
complications such as heart failure and osteoporosis.
Therapy with anti-thyroid medications is often the
initial treatment, but it has to be continued for long
time (2 or more years) and often does not produce
permanent results. On the contrary, both the treatment*
with radioactive iodine and thyroid surgery produce
permanent results, although they often lead to the
opposite thyroid condition (hypothyroidism), which is
considered an acceptable outcome anyway, since
hypothyroidism is a less serious condition and can be
easily treated.
You may protect yourself and your
relatives from
hyperthyroidism before the issue occurs with an appropriate
international health insurance plan, to cover the cost
for the treatment of the condition and its possible
complications.
If you would like to protect yourself or your family
from unexpected medical conditions that may appear you
can ask us for a
free quotation; we will help you to
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*Always seek professional medical advise from a
qualified doctor before undergoing any treatment.