The most common thyroid disorders include hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Having hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism can be both unpleasant and uncomfortable, but these thyroid conditions can be managed if properly diagnosed and treated.
Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid makes too much of the thyroid hormone, called thyroxine. Your thyroid controls your metabolism, and hyperthyroidism can speed up your metabolism to above-normal levels.
Common symptoms of hyperthyroidism include:
Graves' disease causes most cases of hyperthyroidism. Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease that leads to overactivity of the thyroid, which results in releasing too much of the thyroxine hormone (T-4). Hyperthyroidism may run in the family.
If left untreated, hyperthyroidism can lead to heart problems, brittle bones, eye problems, and a condition called thyroid storm in which the heart rate is increased to dangerously high levels.
Depending on the patient's severity of the hyperthyroidism condition, it can be treated in several ways.
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid does not make enough of the most important thyroid hormones called triiodothyronine (T-3) and thyroxine (T-4).
Some more common symptoms of hypothyroidism include the following:
Hypothyroidism may be the result of a number of conditions including autoimmune disease, pregnancy, and iodine deficiency.
If left untreated, hypothyroidism can lead to myxedema, a condition that causes tissues to swell, increases fluid around the lungs and heart, and slows down muscle reflexes. Amyxedema coma may cause you to lose consciousness, experience trouble breathing, and can potentially lead to heart failure. Hypothyroidism can also cause mental health issues like depression and slowed mental functioning.
Hypothyroidism is usually treated with thyroid hormone medicine. Most symptoms of hypothyroidism start to improve a short time after you begin treatment. All symptoms related to hypothyroidism usually disappear within a few months.
