Life Line Screening offers preventative health screenings simple and convenient, so people may learn about their risk of acquiring chronic disorders like thyroid disease before they develop symptoms.
The thyroid is a little butterfly-shaped gland that sits just under your Adam’s apple.
It makes two hormones that inform cells how much energy to utilize, regulating metabolism (the process by which your body converts food into energy).
It may appear to be a little component of your body’s systems, but if it malfunctions, it can lead to a range of issues.
The average person knows very little about their thyroid and how it functions, but it’s critical to learn about the gland and how it affects your general health so you can spot problems early, especially as you get older.
1. There are three primary types of thyroid issues: hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and tumors of the thyroid.
Hyperthyroidism means your thyroid is producing too much of its hormones, and hypothyroidism means it is not producing enough. Tumors of the thyroid, when present, can either be benign modules or malignant cancers.
2. Hyperthyroidism causes your body to use energy too quickly, so symptoms can include fatigue, a faster heartbeat, losing weight without trying, or feeling nervous.
Graves’ disease, which is characterized by an overactive, enlarged thyroid gland, is one of the most common causes of hyperthyroidism (also called a diffuse toxic goiter).
Overactive nodules inside the gland and thyroiditis (the release of hormones stored there), which might be painful or not, are two more causes.
Because the thyroid utilizes iodine to generate hormones, too much iodine in the body can cause hyperthyroidism.
3. Hypothyroidism can make you feel tired, gain weight or even be unable to tolerate cold temperatures.
Hypothyroidism is caused by an inflamed thyroid gland (also known as thyroiditis) or a genetic condition known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system produces antibodies that attack and damage the thyroid gland, preventing it from producing enough hormones.
The disorder, also known as Hashimoto’s disease, is the most frequent cause of hypothyroidism, affecting 5 out of every 100 Americans.
It’s at least eight times more common in women than in males, and it’s more common in women between the ages of 40 and 60.
It may not create any symptoms at first, but if the thyroid continues to swell, a goiter can develop, which causes a sense of fullness in the neck but is rarely uncomfortable.
Hypothyroidism can also be caused by postpartum thyroiditis or autoimmune thyroiditis.
4. Women are about 5-8 times more likely to have a thyroid issue than men.
5. Thyroid disease is very common, affecting an estimated 20 million people in the U.S.
6. Risk factors for thyroid disease include:
- Females, particularly over 40
- All adults over 60
- Women who have been pregnant or have delivered a baby within the last six months
- Family history of thyroid disease
- Past treatment for a thyroid problem
- Past neck surgery or radiation
- Pernicious anemia (a vitamin B12 deficiency)
- Type 1 diabetes
- Primary adrenal insufficiency
How is thyroid disease diagnosed?
Thyroid disease can be diagnosed using a simple finger-prick blood test that measures your levels of the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which is actually produced by the pituitary gland. Located in the center of the skull below your brain, the pituitary gland supervises the thyroid by making sure there are enough thyroid hormones in the body. If it senses there are not enough, it can use its own hormone, TSH, to signal the thyroid to produce more.
If your TSH levels are lower than normal, your thyroid may be overactive because the pituitary gland is trying to make up for it. If your TSH levels are high, your thyroid may be underproducing. Learn more about this quick and easy test here.
Tumors of the thyroid are sometimes seen incidentally during a carotid artery screening in the neck.
How is thyroid disease treated?
Hypothyroidism can be treated by replacing your missing hormones with one identical to the one your thyroid should be producing by taking daily medication. This typically solves the issue entirely.
Hyperthyroidism can be treated a few different ways, depending on the severity of your disease. Radioactive iodine can be taken by mouth and absorbed by the thyroid, causing it to shrink. (This can actually cause the thyroid to become underactive, which would then require medication as hypothyroidism, mentioned above.) Anti-thyroid medications can be taken to resolve the issue, sometimes for good. Other options include beta blockers, which ease symptoms but do not actually affect the thyroid, and surgery, particularly for those who cannot or choose not to undergo the previous options, i.e. women who are pregnant.
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