Know More About Hyperthyroidism

DEFINITION

Hyperthyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone thyroxine. Hyperthyroidism can significantly trigger your body's metabolism and causes weight loss suddenly, increasing the speed or abnormal heartbeat, sweating, and nervousness or irritability.

Several treatment options have been available if you have hyperthyroidism. Doctors use anti-thyroid drugs and radioactive iodine to slow production of thyroid hormones. Sometimes, the handling of hyperthyroidism include surgery to remove the thyroid gland. Although hyperthyroidism can be serious if you ignore it, many people immediately responded well so identified.

SYMPTOMS

Hyperthyroidism can mimic other health problems, which may be difficult for your doctor to find out. This disease may also have signs of symptoms that vary. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include:

• Down weight suddenly, even when you have the appetite and food intake you are normal or even increased

• The heart beats fast (tachycardia) - commonly more than 100 beats per minute - an abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia) or heart pounding at (palpitation)

• Appetite increased

• Nervousness, nausea, irritability

• Vibration - usually shaking of the hands and fingers

• Sweating

• Changing patterns of menstrual

• Increased sensitivity to heat

• Changing patterns in the intestine, especially more frequent bowel movements

• Enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), which can be characterized by swelling of the lower neck

• Fatigue, muscle weakness

• Difficulty sleeping

Other adults do not even have signs or symptoms or subtle signs such as increased heart rate, intolerance to heat and tend to become tired when doing normal activities. Medical treatment called beta blockers, which are used to treat high blood pressure and other conditions, can cover a lot of signs of hyperthyroidism.

Graves' ophthalmopathy

Sometimes an unusual problem such as Graves' ophthalmopathy may result in your eye. In this condition, your eyeballs protrude from the usual result of swelling of the tissues and muscles behind your eyes. This pushed the eyeball forward. This causes the front surface of the eyeball will be dry. Signs and symptoms of Graves' ophthalmopathy include:

• eyeball protruding

• eyes puffy and red

• Exit excessive tears or discomfort in one or both eyes

• Sensitive to light, blurred vision or a double, inflammation, or reduced eye movement

CAUSES and RISK FACTORS

Cause

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck, just above the Adam's apple. Although the weight is lighter than an ounce, the thyroid gland has a tremendous impact on your health. Every aspect of the metabolism of thyroid hormone regulated.

The thyroid gland produces two main hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine, which affects every cell in the body. They set the average body uses fats and carbohydrates, help control body temperature, affects the average heart rate and help regulate protein production. The thyroid also produces calcitonin, a hormone that helps regulate levels of calcium in the blood.

How does this all work?

Thyroxine and triiodothyronine are released is governed by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus - located in an area under the brain that serves as a thermostat for your body's system. Here's how the process works:

The hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland to make a hormone called thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Pituitary gland then releases TSH - the amount based on how much thyroxine and triiodothyronine in your blood. If you do not have enough thyroxine or triiodothyronine in your blood, your TSH level will be above normal, if you have one too many, TSH levels will be below normal. Eventually, your thyroid gland regulates the production of hormones based on the amount of TSH released.

The reason is too much thyroxine

Normally, thyroid hormone is released based on the number, but sometimes the thyroid produces too much thyroxine. This may occur for several reasons, among others:

• Graves disease. This disease is an autoimmune disorder that produces antibodies by the immune system that stimulates the thyroid to produce too much thyroxine. Normally the immune system uses antibodies to help protect the body from viruses, bacteria and other foreign substances that enter the body. In this disease, antibodies mistakenly attack the thyroid and sometimes attack the tissue behind the eyes and skin, often in the lower leg to the top. Scientists are not entirely sure what caused the disease, although several factors - including genetic predisposition - are also involved. Rapper Missy Elliot has this disease and had to undergo radiation treatment to help her condition.

• Hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules (toxic adenoma, toxic multinodular goiter, Plummer's desease). This form of hyperthyroidism occurs when one or more adenomas of your thyroid produces too much thyroxine. Not all adenomas produce excess thyroxine, and doctors are not sure what causes some of which produce too much hormone.

• Thyroiditis. Sometimes your thyroid gland can become swollen for unknown reasons. This swelling can cause stored thyroid hormone within the gland becomes excessive and leads to a deficiency in the flow of consciousness. One rare type of thyroiditis is known as subacute thyroiditis, causes pain in the thyroid gland. Some other types do not cause pain and sometimes occurs after pregnancy (postparum thyroiditis).