What is the thyroid gland?
The thyroid gland is a small gland, about two inches long, that sits at the base of your neck. Your thyroid gland secretes hormones that regulate your metabolism. Your thyroid hormones play a vital role in breathing, heart rate, body temperature, nervous system function, and many other bodily functions.
What is a thyroid disorder?
Thyroid disorders cause over- or under-production of thyroid hormones.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism means you make too little thyroid hormone. The most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s disease, a condition in which your immune system damages your thyroid gland to inhibit thyroid hormone production.
Hypothyroidism can cause symptoms like unexplained weight gain, chronic fatigue, memory problems, and extra cold sensitivity.
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism means you make too much thyroid hormone. Autoimmune conditions like Graves’ disease can cause this condition. In Graves’ disease, your immune system forces your thyroid to make more thyroid hormone than your body can use. Graves’ disease affects around 70% of hyperthyroidism sufferers.
Hyperthyroidism can cause symptoms like racing heart, nervousness, unexplained weight loss, insomnia, and restlessness.
Thyroid nodules
Thyroid nodules are lumps in your thyroid gland. They’re generally noncancerous. The causes of thyroid nodules aren’t always clear, but they can be associated with either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
Usually, thyroid nodules are small and symptomless. However, nodules could grow big enough to interfere with speaking or breathing.
The internal medicine team at The Heart and Medical Center and Urgent Care can diagnose thyroid disorders with a physical exam and advanced diagnostics such as blood tests, radioactive iodine uptake tests, thyroid scan, ultrasound, or fine needle biopsy.
What is the treatment for thyroid disorders?
Treatment depends on the disorder.
Hyperthyroidism treatment
Treatment may include drugs that either inhibit thyroid hormone production or block the effects of thyroid hormones. For severe cases, your specialist may recommend treatment to destroy or remove your thyroid. But, this can lead to the opposite disorder, hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism treatment
Treatment usually includes medicine to restore healthy hormone levels. You typically need to take these replacement hormones long-term.
Thyroid nodules treatment
Thyroid nodule treatment depends on the size and position of the nodules, and whether they’re causing any symptoms. You might need surgical nodule removal.
The Heart and Medical Center and Urgent Care team customizes a treatment solution to help you overcome thyroid problems successfully.
Call The Heart and Medical Center and Urgent Care or click online booking for thyroid treatment now.
