Thyroid Disease Symptoms
| December 17, 2012 | Posted by admin under Thyroid |
When a thyroid gland is overactive it can become enlarged, swollen or develop into a cyst. If that is the case a simple biopsy will help diagnose the problem.
The issue may be within the parathyroid, an Adenoma or perhaps an ablation.
This condition is called hyperthyroidism and may cause an increased appetite, sweating, weight loss, and tremors. The function of the hormone produced by the thyroid is to regulate metabolism in our bodies.
When the thyroid becomes underactive the illness is known as hypothyroidism. One of the first thyroid diseases symptoms noticed for an underactive thyroid is a loss of energy. Extreme tiredness is followed by weight gain. Due to the less than normal functioning thyroid, your metabolism runs sluggish which causes you to put on extra pounds instead of burning off the calories. Hypothyroidism is especially common among older people. Over age 60, up to 17 percent of women and 8 percent of men have the disorder.
Causes and sign of thyroid disease
Thyroid disease symptoms are often overlooked causes of chronic fatigue. Many cases of chronic fatigue are caused by over or underproduction of thyroxine. That is the thyroid hormone responsible for regulating how energy is consumed by the body’s cells.
The leading cause of thyroid deficiency is scarring of the gland caused by inflammation. This condition is known as Hashimoto’s disease. Other causes include viral infection, certain drugs, and radiation treatment.
An overactive thyroid can occasionally be caused by inflammation of the gland or too much iodine in the diet. The most common cause is a hereditary condition known as Graves’ disease.
Effects of Common Symptoms of Thyroid Disease
Symptoms of an overactive thyroid include fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, and heart palpitations. Graves’ disease which often causes the condition usually strikes between age 20 and 40. Signs include swelling of the thyroid, weight loss, hair loss, muscle weakness, and a rapid heartbeat.
Disease symptoms for an underactive thyroid may be depression, lethargy, chills, weight gain, PMS, muscle aches, dry skin, eczema, hair loss, low libido, hoarse throat, and frequent colds or flu.
Hyperthyroidism Natural Treatment
A two pronged Chinese natural remedy for hyperthyroidism is using acupuncture and/or a diet filled with iodine rich seaweed and other sea plants.
In moderate cases of the disorder, these remedies aided the patients in controlling the symptoms enough to avoid surgery and prescription drugs.
Hypothyroidism Natural Treatment
Helpful natural solutions for hypothyroidism include:
- Eat iodine rich foods such as seaweed, seafood, shellfish, and sea vegetables.
- Take 250 mg a day of a tyrosine supplement which is an amino acid.
- Add or increase foods to your diet that are rich in vitamins A, C, E, niacin, and zinc.
- Avoid all foods that inhibit the body’s use of iodine such as peanuts, cabbage, soybeans, and mustard.
- Some patients show marked improvement when they take natural thyroid hormone derived form beef or pork over synthetic treatments.
Medical Treatment
- Hyperthyroidism is medically treated with thyroxine blocking drugs, surgery, or radioactive iodine to destroy the thyroid gland.
- Most doctors treat hypothyroidism with synthetic levothyroxine.
Being overly tired is one of the most common thyroid disease symptoms. An easy at home diagnosis is to take your basal body temperature for three consecutive mornings. Insert a thermometer under your armpit as soon as you wake up, before even getting out of bed.
If it reads below 97.4 each of those days, contact your doctor. A basal temperature of 97.4 degrees or lower suggests hypothyroidism. Side note: the absence of a low temperature does not rule out hypothyroidism. Visit the doctor for a blood test if you are experiencing thyroid disease symptoms.
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