The thyroid gland is located at the front of your neck. This gland secretes hormones that govern many of the functions in your body, such as the way the body uses energy, consumes oxygen and produces heat. Thyroid disorders typically occur when this gland releases too many or too few hormones. An overactive or underactive thyroid can lead to a wide range of health problems. (See the thyroid basics infographic for more.)

Hyperthyroidism is a thyroid disorder that occurs when the thyroid is overactive. It can cause several problems, including:

Several illnesses can cause hyperthyroidism, including Graves' disease or a viral infection of the thyroid gland. Treatment for hyperthyroidism usually involves medication to reduce the amount of hormones produced by the thyroid.

Hypothyroidism is a thyroid disorder that occurs when the thyroid does not produce enough hormones, which is the opposite of hyperthyroidism. This can cause:

Hypothyroidism is often caused by Hashimoto's disease, an autoimmune disease where the body's immune system attacks the thyroid gland. This condition can be treated using a drug called T4. Most patients must stay on T4 for their entire lives, and must be closely monitored by physicians.

Thyroid disorders can also occur because of thyroid nodules, which are growths on the gland. These small growths are usually harmless and can go unnoticed for years. Doctors can sometimes feel these nodules during routine examination. At times, thyroid nodules can be cancerous. If you have these nodules, your doctor may want to perform the following tests:

If the nodules are not cancerous, they will not need treatment in most cases. Sometimes they need to be removed. Cancerous nodules always need to be removed, followed by treatment with radioactive iodine.

If you think that you may have thyroid problems, talk to your doctor to see what tests need to be performed.

Link:
Information on Thyroid Disorders | Hormone Health Network

Comments are closed.