Thyroid a butterfly shaped gland in front of the neck is responsible for secreting the thyroid hormones. The thyroid hormones have wide ranging functions affecting almost all parts of the body.
The problems may be caused by over action or under action of the thyroid gland leading to hyper secretion or hypo secretion of the hormones.
With an over active thyroid the person may be anxious, may show nervousness and may have unexpected weight loss. With an under active thyroid the person feels tired, depressed and may have weight gain. Diagnosis of hyper or hypothyroidism is important as thyroid hormone has a role in the complete metabolism and functioning of the body. The levels of these hormones besides the above mentiontioned symptoms can lead to infertility, uncontrolled diabetes ,atrial fibrillation, obesity and anxiety. In a small child it can lead to slow development and delayed milestones.
Sometimes the presence of a thyroid lesion can in fact indicate larger autoimmune diseases like SLE.
The diagnosis of hyper or hypothyroidism can be done by estimation the level of thyroid hormones in the blood. In the case of hypothyroidism the level of T3 and T4 are low TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone) secreted by the pituitary may be high or low. If TSH is low along with low T3 and T4 levels it indicates a pituitary cause. Pituitary gland is in the skull and secretes hormones regulating the secretion of the thyroid hormones. If the cause of hypothyroidism lies in thyroid, the TSH is high.
Some of the causes of hypothyroidism are thyroiditis(Hashimoto’s disease) & excess amount of iodine. Lithium is a drug related to hypothyroidism. Thyroid surgery with removal of thyroid gland may also be a cause of hypothyroidism.
In the cause of hyperthyroidism if the cause lies in the pituitary gland the TSH levels will be high and if the thyroid is the cause of excess secretion then the TSH level is low
The comment causes of overactive thyroid are Graves Disease, which is an autoimmune thyroiditis . Subacute thyroiditis also leads to damage of thyroid with leaking of the hormone. Toxic thyroid adenomas may serete excess thyroid hormone upsetting the balance of the body.
In addition to the blood tests ultrasound of the thyroid can also give additional information. The ultrasound may reveal cysts or nodules. The cysts or nodules are then aspirated by the pathologist to ascertain whether these are benign or malignant lesions.
The nodules on a radioactive scan are either hot or cold. Hot nodules are active nodule trapping iodine and making large amounts of thyroxine. The cold nodules show low iodine concentrations and these are to be investigated for malignancy.
The thyroid conditions are treated by medication that may be given to suppress the secretes or give medication to supplement the levels of thyroid hormones.
Since the treatment of thyroid conditions in the majority of cases is simple and the incidence of thyroid disorders is increasing, it is of utmost importance to assess the function of thyroid and treat it. for the traetment or to check whwther you have thyroid problem visit thyroid test in delhi
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