ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Hyperthyroid Disease: What is it and how can it be Curbed or Slowed Down?

Updated on October 3, 2013
Source

What is a Thyroid Disease?

Thyroid disease affects at least 30 million Americans, and many are not even aware of their condition. This small butterfly shaped gland is referred to as the “Master gland” (Marcy, 2008) of metabolism. The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck and secretes two hormones; Thyroxin (T4), and Triiodothyronine (T3).

The most common thyroid condition is Hypothyroidism. This disease more commonly afflicts women, as many as 1 in 5, at some point in their lives. (Marcy, 2008) In women, hormonal imbalance can act as the trigger for thyroid problems. The delicate balance of estrogen and progesterone can become upset when the body is under stress. Consequently, pregnancy, pre-menopause and menopause are associated with hyperthyroidism.

What Symptoms are included, and do Family Genetics make a Difference?

Some of the most common symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

  • Muscle and joint pain
  • Swelling in the neck
  • Hoarse voice
  • Skin/hair changes
  • Bowel problems
  • Irregular menstrual cycles
  • Fertility problems
  • Weight changes
  • Fatigue/depression
  • Heart disease


A family history will also put you in the higher risk bracket for thyroid disease, however many older people may refer to the condition as a “glandular condition”, and may not realize they actually have thyroid disease. Genetics that the condition also can spring from a DNA helix that have various deformities closely associated with the Thyroid gland and other areas around the neck. (Shomon, 2007)

Etiology of Hyperthyroidism

Source

So What is the Next Step? What should you Expect?

The next step if thyroid disease is expected is a visit to your physician. First, a physical exam would be performed to check the size/weight of the thyroid gland. Next, the texture of the skin, hair and the muscle reflexes would be checked for any deformities or color differentiation. Vital signs may or may not reveal a slow heart rate, low blood pressure and low temperature. A chest x-ray has been known to sometimes reveal an enlarged heart.


Lab tests would include:


  • Free T4 test
  • Total T3
  • Serum TSH
  • Cholesterol levels
  • Liver enzymes
  • Serum prolactin and sodium
  • CBC (Complete Blood Count)


Finally, treatments available have been a subject of recent debate. Depending on your healthcare providers’ level of experience and training, prescribed treatments may vary. Some of the more common treatments prescribed include a synthetic T4 or Synthroid, Levoxylor, or Levothyrozine. These work best with patients that can convert T4 into T3. For other patients a synthetic T3, Cytomel is added, to help process the bodies over-reaction and creation of TSH through T3 and T4.

Thyroid Disease Symptoms and Types

The End Result?

The goal for the supplements is to tailor the dosage to relieve symptoms and achieve levels of TSH less than 2.0, with optimal levels of T3 and T4. Today’s market also offers herbal supplements to support thyroid function, however, this does require holistic support. It would be best to discuss all of your options with your own personal health care provider, and with your doctor’s help, decide what will work best with your symptoms. For a complete approach to your total health care plan, include proper nutrition, stress management and exercise, which in respect would help curb or stop the growing problem of Hyperthyroid Disease. (Marcy 2008)

Medical Overview of Thyroid Conditions

Works Cited:


Marcy, H., NP, C. M. C., Marcelle, P., & OB/GYN, N. (2008). A natural approach to hypothyroidism can work wonders (Thyroid Health). Retrieved October 3, 2013, from Womentowomen.com: http://womentowomen.com.

Scott, A. S., & Fong, E. (2004). Thyroid disorders. In C. L. Esperti (Ed.), Endocrine system (pp. 210 – 214

Shomon, M. (2007, November 9). Top ten signs that you might have a thyroid problem (Thyroid Disease). Retrieved October 3, 2013, from About.com: http://thyroid.about.com.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)