What is Thyroid Disease, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Hormones produced by your thyroid are crucial to a number of body systems. Thyroid disease happens when either too much or too little of these important hormones are produced by your thyroid. Multiple thyroid disorders exist, such as hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, etc.

Table of Content

• What is Thyroid Disease?
• The Thyroid Gland Functions as Follows
• Who is at risk of thyroid disease?
• What are the common symptoms of thyroid disease?
• Thyroid disease: how is it diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for thyroid disease?

What is Thyroid Disease:

An illness that affects the thyroid gland is thyroid disease. As an endocrine organ, the thyroid gland is located in the front of our necks and produces thyroid hormones that are transported throughout our bloodstream to help regulate many other organs. Normal functions of these hormones are to affect energy use, infant development, and childhood development.

Thyroid disease comes in five different types with different symptoms. One or more of these types may be present at the same time. These five categories are:

• When you don't have enough free thyroid hormones, you have hypothyroidism (low thyroid function).
• An excess of free thyroid hormones leads to hyperthyroidism (high function)
• A goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland) is the most common structural abnormality.
• A benign (noncancerous) or cancerous thyroid tumor is often seen.
• Thyroid function tests that are abnormal without any symptoms (subclinical hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism).

The Thyroid Gland Functions as Follows:

Besides releasing and regulating thyroid hormones that control our metabolism, our thyroid plays a crucial role in our body. The food you consume is converted into energy by the metabolism. Our entire body uses this energy to keep many of its systems functioning properly. Metabolic energy is the engine of the body. Through it, raw energy is transformed into something more powerful.

Two hormones are produced by the thyroid gland to control metabolism: T4 (thyroxine, with four atoms of iodide) and T3 (triiodothyronine, with three atoms of iodide). It is the thyroid gland that produces these hormones, which tells the cells how much energy to use. Having a healthy thyroid will allow it to produce the appropriate number of hormones to maintain our metabolism at the right place. During the usage of hormones, the thyroid creates new ones.

A gland called the pituitary gland oversees the process. Our pituitary gland sits in the middle of our skull, below our brain, where it monitors how much thyroid hormone is in our bloodstream. A pituitary gland adjusting hormone levels when it senses low thyroid hormone levels or high levels of hormones in our bodies will produce its own hormone if needed. Such hormones are known as thyroid-stimulating hormones (TSH). In order to get the body back to normal, the TSH is sent to the thyroid.

Who is at risk of thyroid disease?

People of all ages can be afflicted by thyroid disease, including women, men, infants, and teenagers. As you age, it can develop (usually as a result of menopause in women) or it can be present from birth (hypothyroidism). The probability of a woman being diagnosed with a thyroid condition is about five to eight times higher than that of a man. The following factors may increase one's risk of developing thyroid disease:

• Thyroid disease in the family.
• An illness (including pernicious anemia, diabetes type 1, primary adrenal insufficiency, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome, and Turner syndrome).
• Iodine-rich medications (amiodarone) should be taken.
• People over 60 years of age, especially women.
• Has undergone thyroid surgery or radiation for thyroid cancer in the past.

What are the common symptoms of thyroid disease?

When you have thyroid disease, you may experience a range of symptoms. Thyroid disorders often exhibit symptoms that resemble other types of health issues and stages in life. There can be a lot of overlapping symptoms that can make it difficult to tell whether they relate to thyroid issues or something else. A thyroid condition can be categorized into two groups based on the symptoms it produces - those that occur when thyroid hormone is produced too much (hyperthyroidism) and those that occur when thyroid hormone is produced too little (hypothyroidism).

Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) is characterized by the following symptoms:

• Feeling stressed, anxious, and irritable.
• Having difficulty sleeping.
• Weight loss.
• The presence of a goiter or an enlarged thyroid gland.
• Having weakness and trembling in the muscles.
• Women who experience irregular menstrual cycles or cessation of their menstrual cycle.
• A feeling of heat sensitivity.
• Trouble seeing or having the irritation of the eyes.

A hypothyroid condition can present with the following symptoms:

• Tiredness (fatigue).
• Putting on weight.
• Being forgetful.
• Periods that are heavy or frequent.
• Coarse, dry hair.
• Hoarseness in the voice.
• Intolerant of cold weather.

Thyroid disease: how is it diagnosed?

Symptoms of thyroid disease may be difficult to diagnose at times because they overlap with those of other conditions. As we age or become pregnant, we may experience similar symptoms to someone with thyroid disease. Testing can determine if thyroid problems are causing our symptoms. The following tests may be performed:

• Tests of the blood.
• Imagining tests.
• Physical examinations.

Tests of the blood:

Through blood tests, a thyroid problem can be definitively diagnosed. By measuring how many thyroid hormones are present in your blood, thyroid blood tests can determine whether your thyroid gland is functioning properly. They are performed by drawing blood from a vein in the arm. These tests determine whether you have: Hyperthyroidism., Hypothyroidism.

Hyper- and hypothyroidism are diagnosed with thyroid blood tests. These tests include:

• Thyroiditis.
• Graves’ disease.
• Hashimoto’s disease.
• Goiter.
• Thyroid nodule.
• Thyroid cancer.

The following types of blood tests can be done to test your thyroid:

TSH: TSH, which is produced in the pituitary gland, controls the balance of thyroid hormones in the bloodstream, including T4 and T3. Usually, your provider will perform this test first to determine if there is a thyroid hormone imbalance in you. A hypothyroid state (hypothyroidism) is typically accompanied by an elevated TSH level and a hyperthyroid state (hyperthyroidism) by a low TSH level. For further evaluation, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) can be measured directly if TSH is abnormal. Adults generally have a TSH level of 0.40 - 4.50 mIU/mL.

T4: Tests are performed on thyroid glands to determine if a person has hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism and to monitor thyroid treatment. Hypothyroidism is characterized by low T4, whereas hyperthyroidism is by high T4. An adult's T4 level should be between 5.0 and 11.0 ug/dL.

FT4: This method of measuring T4 removes the effects of naturally bindable proteins that may interfere with the accurate measurement of free FT4 levels are typically within the range of 0.9 - 1.7ng/dL in adults.

T3: Hyperthyroidism may be diagnosed or measured using triiodothyronine tests. It is often useful in diagnosing and managing hyperthyroidism, where T3 levels are elevated, where low T3 levels are observed in hypothyroidism. Normal T3 levels are between 100 and 200 ng/dL.

FT3: Free triiodothyronine, or free T3, is a way to measure T3 that does not rely on proteins that naturally bind T3 and may affect the method's accuracy. The normal range of FT3 levels is 2.3 - 4.1 pg/mL.

Additional tests may include:

Thyroid antibodies: Identifying thyroid autoimmune conditions can be done with these tests. Microsomal antibodies (TPO antibodies) are among the most common thyroid antibody tests. Thyroglobulin antibodies (also referred to as TG antibodies) and thyroid receptor antibodies (TSIs and TBIs) are also common tests.

Calcitonin: Diagnostic tests like this are used to diagnose rare thyroid disorders such as C-cell hyperplasia and medullary thyroid cancer.

Thyroglobulin: A thyroiditis (thyroid inflammation) test and a thyroid cancer treatment check are performed using this test.

Imaging Tests:

It is possible to answer any questions about the thyroid by looking at the thyroid itself. YA thyroid scan is an imaging test that can be performed by your healthcare provider. In this way, your provider can examine the thyroid for any changes in size, shape, or growth (nodules).

A test known as ultrasound can also be used. An ultrasound is a method of diagnosing diseases by transmitting high-frequency sound waves through the body tissues, which are inaudible to the human ears. The echoes of the sound waves are recorded, transformed into video and photographs.

Physical Exam:

Physical exams at your healthcare provider's office are another way to check your thyroid. A provider will feel your neck for any thyroid growths or enlargements, which is a very simple and painless test.

What is the treatment for thyroid disease?

In order to return to normal thyroid hormone levels, your healthcare provider will seek to correct the problem. You can treat thyroid disorders in a variety of ways, and the treatment you receive depends on the underlying cause.

Treatment options for high thyroid hormone levels (hyperthyroidism) include:

Anti-thyroid drugs: They block the thyroid's hormone production.

Radioactive iodine: Damages your thyroid's cells, preventing it from producing thyroid hormones in abundance.

Beta-blockers: They don't change the hormone levels in your body, but they can help you manage your symptoms.

Surgery: Surgically removing your thyroid is a more permanent treatment (thyroidectomy). Thyroidectomy prevents your thyroid from producing hormones. Nevertheless, you must take thyroid replacement hormones for the rest of your life.

If you have low thyroid hormone levels (hypothyroidism), you can use the following treatment options:

Thyroid replacement medication: A synthetic version of thyroid hormones, this drug helps you regain thyroid function. The most commonly prescribed drug is levothyroxine. You can live a normal life if you use medicine to control thyroid disease.