Remember the 90s advertisement jingle asking the nation to eat only "iodised namak" to prevent goitre?
Goitre is a disease linked to the thyroid gland. The swelling of the thyroid gland causes this condition. In addition, swelling is one of the major thyroid symptoms, noticeable in more thyroid complications than one.
Moreover, there are many more diseases and conditions caused by the disbalance of thyroid hormones. Therefore, know everything about the thyroid gland in detail, such as what is a thyroid gland, what are the signs and symptoms of thyroid, and how to diagnose thyroid?
Let's get started!
The thyroid is a gland. It is a part of the endocrine system of the human body. The gland is butterfly-shaped, lying below Adam's apple. Many crucial voice nerves pass through it and it is rich in blood vessels.
It produces several hormones essential for the growth and development of the human body. These hormones influence growth, body temperature, and development, critical for brain development as a child.
However, thyroid meaning has been misused. When people say they have "thyroid," they mean a disbalance of the hormones produced by the gland rather than the gland itself.
Hence, it is important to note that the term thyroid refers scientifically to the gland but is used commonly to talk about the diseases that arise because of it.
Moreover, there are two types of thyroid conditions. They are:
The excess production of thyroid hormones causes hyperthyroidism. This condition causes the body to use up energy quickly, lose weight, and develop excessive nervousness.
The underproduction of thyroid hormone causes hypothyroidism. Common symptoms of this include feeling tired, weight gain and inability to tolerate cold temperatures.
The common thyroid symptoms have been given below.
These signs of thyroid are differentiated as under hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.
Thyroid symptoms of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can include:
Thyroid symptoms of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can include:
These are the thyroid symptoms for excessive and underproduction of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland.
The two main causes of the thyroid condition are the thyroid gland's over and underproduction of different thyroid hormones. These are known as hyper and hypothyroidism.
However, several other conditions can cause or trigger off hyper and hypothyroidism in a person.
The following diseases can trigger the secretion of thyroid hormones. These conditions are:
An Absent Thyroid Gland from Birth
If you are born with a faulty thyroid gland, then you could be affected by this problem. 1 in 4000 babies is born with such complications. Therefore, if you have this condition from birth, you may suffer from mental and emotional issues.
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition. As a result, the immune system of the body starts attacking the thyroid. Furthermore, it can be compared to Type 1 diabetes, where the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin hormone. The body's cells attack and damage the thyroid.
Thyroiditis
Thyroiditis occurs when there is a swelling of the thyroid, which causes less production of thyroid hormones.
Iodine Deficiency
The thyroid uses iodine to produce hormones. Unfortunately, an iodine deficiency affects several million people around the world.
Postpartum Thyroiditis
There can be a dip in thyroid levels for up to 5-9% of women post-pregnancy. However, it is a temporary condition that will stabilise after some time.
The following diseases are responsible for triggering off the problem of hyperthyroidism.
Nodules
Overactive nodules within the thyroid can cause hyperthyroidism. There can be a single nodule or multiple nodules on the thyroid gland.
Graves’ Diseases
In this disease, the entire thyroid gland swells up and produces excess thyroid hormone. This problem is also commonly called diffuse toxic goitre.
Excess Iodine
Excess consumption of iodine, an essential element in the production of thyroid hormones, is responsible for hyperthyroidism. Iodine is found in cough syrup and heart medicine, so those on this medication should be careful.
Thyroiditis
The thyroid gland releases hormones stored in it, and this condition can last for a few weeks.
These were some of the reasons for thyroid in a person.
It is very hard to make a thyroid diagnosis as the symptoms mimic other normal conditions such as pregnancy or ageing.
However, the ways to diagnose thyroid are through the following:
Therefore, let us take a look at these tests in detail.
1. Blood Tests
Hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism can be diagnosed with some accurate tests. As soon as a person notices thyroid symptoms, they can carry out the following tests. Usually, a doctor will prescribe these tests for them. The details are as follows
Blood Tests for Hyper and Hypothyroidism
|
Name of Test |
Description |
Result Interpretation |
|
Test for TSH |
The pituitary gland produces TSH or “thyroid-stimulating hormone.” TSH regulates the T3 and T4 levels in the blood. Low TSH levels result in excess production of thyroid hormone. High TSH levels result in low production of thyroid hormone. |
Normal TSH levels are 0.40 to 4.50 milli International Units/millilitre of blood. |
|
Test for thyroxine or T4 hormone |
The test is for thyroxine levels and is used to monitor the treatment of hyper or hypothyroidism. |
The normal range for T4 levels in adults is between 5.0 – 11.0 ug/dL (micrograms per deciliter of blood). |
|
Test for tri-iodothyronine or T3 hormone |
The test helps to diagnose hyper and hypothyroidism. |
The normal range for T3 levels in adults is between 100 - 200 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter of blood). |
|
Test for Free T4 |
The Free T4 test measures the level of “free” T4 that has not bound itself to any proteins. Therefore, this test is a more accurate one than the normal T4 test. |
The normal range of “free” T4 in an adult is 0.9 - 1.7 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter of blood). |
|
Test for Free T3 |
The Free T3 test measures the “free” T3 level. “Free” T3 has not bound itself to any proteins. Therefore, this test is a more accurate one than the normal T3 test. |
The normal range of “free” T3 for an adult is between 2.3 - 4.1 pg/mL (picograms per millilitre of blood). |
|
Test for thyroid antibodies |
This test is responsible for tracking the autoimmune response of the body to thyroid hormones. It looks for the presence of the following: thyroid peroxidase antibodies, thyroglobulin antibodies, thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins, thyroid blocking immunoglobulins |
Ranges can vary from person to person. |
|
Test for calcitonin |
The test is used to diagnose C-cell hyperplasia and medullary thyroid cancer. |
Ranges can vary from person to person. |
|
Test for thyroglobulin |
This test is used to diagnose thyroiditis and monitor the treatment of thyroid cancer. |
Ranges can vary from person to person. |
2. Biopsy
A small amount of the thyroid tissue is removed to check for cancer. Thyroid cancer is usually treatable.
3. Imaging Tests
The doctor may also prescribe imaging of the thyroid to understand the problem better. For example, they may ask for an X-ray or an ultrasound.
4. Physical Tests
In this testing method, the doctor will physically examine the neck region with his hands by feeling for enlargement or growth.
Any treatment aims to bring the thyroid levels back to normal and keep them there. There are many best treatments for thyroid. The details are given below:
There are two thyroid treatment medicines. These are methimazole and propylthiouracil. They hinder the thyroid gland from making more hormones.
These meds help to control the symptoms rather than the hormone levels.
A beam of radiation is pin-pointedly applied at the thyroid. This treatment is carried out multiple times. The radiation helps to kill the thyroid cancer cells.
Doses of radioactive iodine can destroy an overactive thyroid or destroy cancerous tissues.
These pills treat hypothyroidism and prevent cancer from returning.
In this type of therapy, the person has to take the hormones through drugs. A common drug used is levothyroxine.
This specialised surgery will remove parts of the thyroid. Doctors undertake this step when there is thyroid cancer, hyperthyroidism or goitre.
There are several risk factors of thyroid. However, the most common ones are age and genetics. Here is a list of risk factors for hyper and hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism Risk Factors
The different risk factors for hypothyroidism are:
Hypothyroidism Risk Factors
|
Age (above 60) |
Gender (women) |
|
Pituitary Gland Disorder |
Autoimmune diseases such as diabetes type 1 or celiac disease |
|
Pregnancy |
Post-pregnancy up to 6 months |
Hyperthyroidism Risk Factors
The different risk factors for hypothyroidism are:
Hyperthyroidism Risk Factors
|
Past Trauma to the Thyroid Gland |
Gender |
|
Pituitary Gland Disorder |
Genetic or personal history of autoimmune diseases such as diabetes type 1 or celiac disease, etc. |
|
Pregnancy |
Post-pregnancy up to 6 months |
|
Smoking |
Recent use of iodine contrast |
Given the many complications associated with thyroid, “how to avoid thyroid” must be on everyone’s mind.
Here are some common ways to prevent thyroid. They are:
Research supports the fact that excess consumption of soy causes thyroid problems. Soy tends to interfere with the body’s absorption of levothyroxine, a thyroid replacement drug.
There exists a strong correlation between Celiac disease and Graves’ and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Therefore, getting tested for Celiac disease is very important to deal with thyroid complications.
Thiocyanate in cigarette smoke hampers the intake of iodine, an element essential for producing thyroid hormones. Moreover, smoking also causes a dip in the TSH levels and an increase in T4 levels.
Selenium is associated with decreased hypothyroidism. However, the exact nature of the role of selenium needs to be discussed with your doctor. Unfortunately, there is less information available on this relationship.
Anyone can do the thyroid neck check at home. However, you will need a mirror and a glass of water. Stand in front of a mirror and swallow a glass of water. You will notice any bumps or nodules on your neck as you slowly drink the water. However, small lumps cannot be easily picked out.
Taking frequent X-rays exposes the thyroid gland to radiation. Excessive radiation exposure can lead to thyroid cancer. Hence, ask for a thyroid collar, a lead-covered neck brace that protects the delicate thyroid gland from exposure.
If you are wondering “is there a way to prevent thyroid,” there isn’t any proven way to prevent thyroid. However, regular doctor’s checkups are important to diagnose the problem sooner.
Please try one more time!
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Disclaimer #2: This information is added only for informative purposes and collected from different sources across the Internet. Digit Insurance is not promoting or recommending anything here. Please verify the information before making any decisions.
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