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Your Thyroid is a gland located at the base of your neck, just below your
Adam’s apple. It is shaped like a butterfly – each “wing” or lobe, of your
thyroid lies on either side of your windpipe.
The purpose of your thyroid gland is to make, store, and release thyroid
hormones (T3 and T4) into your blood. Thyroid hormones affect essentially
every cell in your body, and help control your body’s function. If have too
little thyroid hormones in your blood, your body slows down. This is a
condition called hypothyroidism. If you have too much thyroid hormone in
your blood, your body speeds up. This is a condition called hyperthyroidism.
The pituitary gland makes hormones that control many other glands in
your body.
When there is just the right amount of thyroid hormone in your body, that
message is sent to your pituitary. With your thyroid hormone levels now
restored to normal, your pituitary slows its production of TSH back down
to normal.
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Thyroid Disorders --- What can go wrong
1. HYPOTHYROIDISM
If you don’t have enough thyroid hormone in your bloodstream even
after your pituitary has signaled the thyroid to “turn up the heat” and
produce more- you may have a condition called hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is usually caused by:
a. Hashimoto’s disease, a condition in which the immune system
interferes with normal thyroid gland function.
b. Can result from being treated for hyperthyroidism.
c. Can result from having thyroid surgery ie thyroid removed by
surgery.
d. Congenital absence of thyroid either one lobe is absent or both
lobes of thyroid didn’t develop normally in the fetus.
If you are Hypothyroid, you also have a high level of TSH (which is
your body’s signal to “turn on the heat” or to step up the production
and release of thyroid hormone). Having too little thyroid hormone
causes your body to slow down.
As a result, you may feel tired, may have a slow heart beat,
Constipation, difficulty concentrating, dry skin, weight gain or
Depression.
What is happening is that the lack of thyroid hormone is causing an
Overall slowing of your bodies function. If left untreated, this can
cause serious health problems, which is why is essential that
hypothyroidism is identified and treated quickly.
2. HYPERTHYROIDISM.
If thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone, you may have a
condition known as Hyperthyroidism.
If you are hyperthyroid, you also have a low level of TSH in your
blood because your pituitary has decreased its TSH signals to your
thyroid.
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Hyperthyroidism can be caused by several conditions:--
Grave’s disease - a condition in which the immune system
causes too much thyroid hormone to be made and released into
the blood.
Thyroid nodules - lumps in the thyroid gland that may
sometimes overproduce hormones.
Overreplacement of thyroid hormone- patient receiving thyroid
hormone replacement therapy for hypothyroidism and being
given too high a dose (or too much thyroid hormone) can
become hyperthyroid.
Having too much thyroid hormone causes your body to speed up,
resulting in: ----
Weight loss, diarrhea, excess sweating, nervousness. fast heart beat,
sleeping problem and easy irritability.
If left untreated, this can cause serious damage to your body, so it is
very important that the disorder be identified early and treated
properly.
3. GOITER.
Means enlargement or swelling of the thyroid gland. Your thyroid
gland may be enlarged if it is:
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Normal Thyroid Gland
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4. Thyroid Nodule/s.
Thyroid nodules are lumps in your thyroid gland, which may also
cause a goiter. You may have one nodule, called a solitary nodule, or
you can have many, which is a condition called multinodular goiter.
Thyroid nodules are common.
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Thyroid nodules are usually benign (not cancerous). They usually produce
too much thyroid hormones and cause Hyperthyroidism, or are benign
tumors or cysts. Thyroid nodules may or may not require treatment.
If you have thyroid nodules that do require treatment, there are variety of
treatment options available.
There are a number of tests available to help with the diagnosis and
treatment of thyroid disorders. Included are tests that measure thyroid
hormone level in your blood, as well as the TSH test, which measures the
concentration of thyroid- stimulating hormone (TSH) in your blood.
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What can the TSH test reveal?
A Final Note.
If you believe that you may be suffering from a thyroid disorder, ask your
doctor to consider ordering a TSH test. If you are already being treated for
a thyroid disorder, your blood TSH level should be checked periodically, at
least once a year, to ensure that your treatment continues to be successful.