Conditions that affect how the thyroid functions include: Thyroiditis inflamed thyroid : The thyroid gland can become inflamed for unknown reasons. This inflammation causes extra thyroid hormone to leak into the bloodstream, causing too much thyroid hormone to circulate throughout the body or hyperthyroidism overactive thyroid. This period of hyperthyroidism typically lasts no more than three months. Eventually, the thyroid becomes underactive, releasing too little T4 hormone either temporarily or permanently.
A viral or bacterial infection may cause thyroiditis. The condition may also occur following childbirth. Most of the time, the inflammation is painless. However, for subacute granulomatous thyroiditis patients, pain or soreness around the thyroid can last for several weeks. Hashimoto's disease or chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis inflamed thyroid : This condition occurs when a patient's own immune system identifies the thyroid as foreign and produces antibodies to attack it.
The thyroid becomes chronically inflamed from these attacks and stops producing enough thyroid hormone for the body to function properly. Scientists believe possible causes include a virus or a bacterium that triggers the immune response and a genetic predisposition to the disorder.
People who suffer from other autoimmune disorders such as arthritis, lupus, and Type 1 diabetes are at higher risk of developing the disease. People who have been exposed to higher levels of environmental radiation also are at higher risk.
Pituitary or hypothalamic disease: Because the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus regulate the thyroid, injury to or dysfunction in these areas may cause the thyroid to become underactive. This condition is known as secondary or tertiary hypothyroidism.
Radiation treatment : Patients who have received radioactive iodine for an overactive thyroid typically experience hypothyroidism underactive thyroid after treatment. Patients who receive external beam radiation therapy EBT to the thyroid, neck, or chest for cancer treatment may also experience thyroid dysfunction. Graves' Disease: The most common cause of overactive thyroid is Graves' Disease.
It occurs when the immune system creates antibodies that cause the thyroid to grow and make more T4 thyroid hormone than the body needs. In healthy people, the amount of T4 is regulated by TSH thyroid-stimulating hormone. Patients with Graves' disease release antibodies that mimic TSH and fool the thyroid into producing more T4 than is necessary, leading to overactive thyroid. The antibodies that attack the thyroid often also attack the tissue behind the eyes, a condition known as Graves' ophthalmopathy or thyroid eye disease.
This condition may cause mild symptoms such as red and irritated eyes or sensitivity to light. It may also cause one or both eyes to protrude from the eye sockets as a result of inflammation and swelling in the muscles and tissues in the eye socket. Patients with Graves' Disease can uncommonly also develop skin thickening and redness on the front of their lower legs, a condition called Graves' dermopathy. Hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules also called toxic adenoma, toxic multinodular goiter or Plummer's disease : Non-cancerous nodules called adenomas occur when part of the thyroid gland begins to swell and separate from the rest of the gland.
These adenomas may begin producing thyroid hormones independently of the rest of the thyroid gland, a condition called a functioning nodule.
When these nodules do not respond to the normal feedback mechanisms meant to keep the thyroid hormone levels in check, this is known as a toxic adenoma or Plummer's disease. If blood tests reveal signs of abnormal thyroid activity, or a thyroid nodule is found and thyroid cancer needs to be excluded, further testing will be required, such as: Thyroid Scan and Uptake: During this test, the patient swallows a small amount of radioactive iodine radioiodine. Over a period of time, the iodine collects in the thyroid.
After a few hours, you will sit in front of a special camera called a gamma camera to measure the amount of iodine absorbed by your thyroid. This device does not emit radiation, but there is a small amount of radiation exposure from the swallowed or injected radioiodine.
See the Thyroid scan and uptake page for more information. Ultrasound: Ultrasound allows detailed examination of the internal structure of the thyroid.
Doctors use it to assess thyroid nodules for the likelihood of cancer. They will further evaluate any nodule that is suspicious for cancer can using ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy: During thyroid biopsy, the doctor uses ultrasound imaging to insert a thin, hollow needle through the skin and into the thyroid gland or the suspicious nodule.
Biopsy removes a small tissue sample lab analysis to determine if cancer is present. See the Thyroid Biopsy page for more information. It is often used for patients suffering from Graves' disease or before thyroid surgery. Symptom relief typically occurs within six to 12 weeks of starting the medication but therapy usually continues for at least a year. Twenty to 30 percent of patients have permanent relief while others may see symptoms return.
All babies born in the UK are screened for congenital hypothyroidism using a blood spot test when the baby is about 5 days old. Treatment for an underactive thyroid involves taking daily hormone replacement tablets, called levothyroxine , to raise your thyroxine levels. You'll initially have regular blood tests until the correct dose of levothyroxine is reached.
This can take a little while to get right. Once you're taking the correct dose, you'll usually have a blood test once a year to monitor your hormone levels. You'll usually need treatment for the rest of your life. Read more on Australasian Menopause Society website. Diarrhoea is when more than three loose, watery stools are passed within one day. The stools passed by someone experiencing diarrhoea are between Type 5 and Type 7 on the Bristol Stool Chart. Diarrhoea may be either acute, lasting for up to two weeks, or chronic, lasting for over four weeks.
The approach to menstrual management in girls with intellectual disabilities should be the same as it is for other girls. Healthdirect Australia is not responsible for the content and advertising on the external website you are now entering. Thyroid problems. There is a total of 5 error s on this form, details are below. Please enter your name Please enter your email Your email is invalid.
Please check and try again Please enter recipient's email Recipient's email is invalid. Please check and try again Agree to Terms required. Thank you for sharing our content. This prevents the thyroid from making enough hormones, causing hypothyroidism.
Hashimoto's disease often runs in families, and it affects women more than men. People with other autoimmune diseases are also more likely to get Hashimoto's disease. Other causes of hypothyroidism include thyroid surgery, radiation treatment, some medications, and thyroiditis inflammation of the thyroid.
Some people may be born with hypothyroidism, which is known as congenital hypothyroidism. Women are more likely to have hypothyroidism, as well as people older than 60 and people with other thyroid disorders. A person with mild hypothyroidism might feel fine and have no symptoms. But those with symptoms can experience a puffy face, sluggishness, weight gain, feeling cold, a slowed heart rate, constipation, depression, and thinning hair.
Not everyone has the same symptoms, so make sure to talk with your health care provider if you think you have hypothyroidism. The doctor will ask about your symptoms, do a physical exam, and order blood tests.
These tests measure your TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone, level and antibodies.
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