Hyperthyroidism is a condition wherein the thyroid gland manufactures excess levels of the hormone thyroxine. The condition can significantly speed up the metabolism in your body, causing a fast or irregular heartbeat, abrupt weight loss, sweating, and irritability or nervousness.
Several treatment choices are available if you have hyperthyroidism. Physicians use radioactive iodine and anti-thyroid medications to decelerate the making of thyroid hormones. At times, the treatment of hyperthyroidism involves surgical procedures to remove a portion of your thyroid gland. Once the condition is diagnosed, the treatment process will be easy.
Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism can show up like other health problems. It may be hard for your doctor to diagnose the disease because of the resemblance of symptoms to other disorders. Hyperthyroidism symptoms may include the following:
- Increased sensitivity to heat
- Palpitations
- Food consumption may increase due to bodily needs
- More frequent or other changes in bowel movements
- Nervousness
- Increased Appetite
- Tremors
- Changes in menstrual patterns
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Irritability
- Difficulty sleeping
- Sweating
- Tachycardia
- Irregular heart beat
- An enlarged thyroid Gland
- Sudden weight Loss
Understanding the Functions of the Thyroid Gland
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that is situated at the pedestal of your neck, just beneath the Adam’s apple in men. Despite the small size of the thyroid gland, it plays a big role in your overall health. The thyroid hormones produced by the gland facilitates metabolism in the body.
To review, the thyroid gland produces two chief hormones – thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3) – that works on every cell in your body. These hormones maintain and regulate the pace at which your body uses fats and carbohydrates. It also controls your body temperature, regulates your heart rate and maintains the consumption of protein. The gland also produces calcitonin, the hormone responsible for the transfer of calcium to the bones.