While there are various causes of thyroid disease, symptoms vary according to whether the thyroid gland is producing too much or too little thyroid hormone. Diagnosis is sometimes difficult, as the symptoms often mimic those of other illnesses and medical conditions. Diagnosis of thyroid disease is based on blood tests, which measure the level of thyroid hormones and antibodies in the blood. Treatment focuses on restoring thyroid hormone in the blood to normal levels. Although thyroid disease is often a lifelong condition, there are effective treatments available to manage the disease.
Instructions
1. Take oral medications as prescribed by your physician to control the symptoms of hyperthyroidism. People with Graves' disease have an overactive thyroid that produces too much T3 and T4 hormone, which may cause symptoms of fatigue, weight loss, anxiety, tremors, hypertension and a rapid heartbeat. Anti-thyroid medications work by slowing the production of these hormones. In severe cases of hyperthyroidism, doctors may decide to surgically remove the thyroid, or perform a procedure known as ablation. When this treatment is used, radioactive iodine is administered to destroy overactive thyroid tissue or shrink large thyroid glands. Although this method of treatment is generally considered to be safe, a person must limit exposure to others for a few days following treatment.
2. Report symptoms such as chronic fatigue, menstrual irregularities, muscle and joint pain, chronic constipation and unexplained weight gain to your doctor. You may be suffering from hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid caused by an autoimmune disease of the thyroid. Treatment involves taking a daily dose of a synthetic thyroid hormone. Dosage levels of thyroid hormone replacement vary among individuals. A low dose of the medication is prescribed to start, and then gradually increased until an appropriate maintenance dosage is reached.
3. Use iodized table salt and include more seafood in your diet if you are diagnosed with iodine deficiency. In some cases of mild hypothyroidism, this is all the treatment that is needed. Your doctor may also prescribe iodine supplementation. Women who are pregnant, young children, adolescent females and the elderly are most at risk for developing iodine deficiency. People who suffer from iodine deficiency may eventually notice a swelling of the thyroid gland known as a goiter. If a goiter remains small, no treatment may be necessary. If you develop a lump in the middle of your lower neck that does not go away after a few weeks, have your doctor take a look to rule out thyroid cancer.
4. Reduce the amount of iodine in your diet if you have hyperthyroidism. Even though the thyroid gland needs iodine to make thyroid hormone, consuming too much iodine can cause abnormal thyroid function. The large amounts of iodine found in certain medications like those used to treat heart conditions are believed to contribute to thyroid dysfunction as well. Like iodine deficiency, excess iodine can also cause goiter.
5. Talk to your health care provider about increasing your medication while pregnant. Women who suffer hypothyroidism before becoming pregnant should be carefully monitored throughout pregnancy, as medication doses may need to be periodically adjusted. Some women develop inflammation of the thyroid gland postpartum. Symptoms are the same as those for hyperthyroidism. Following treatment with beta-blockers to control symptoms of tremor and rapid heartbeat, a woman may then develop symptoms of hypothyroidism, requiring thyroid hormone replacement therapy for several months. Fortunately, in most cases, thyroid function eventually returns to normal.
Tags: thyroid hormone, iodine deficiency, thyroid gland, control symptoms, hormone replacement