Thyroid hormones control various bodily processes, including growth and metabolism. Thyroid disease occurs when your thyroid produces either too much or too little of these vital hormones. Hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, and Hashimoto’s disease are all types of thyroid illnesses.

Your thyroid functions by releasing and controlling thyroid hormones that control metabolism. The thyroid gland regulates your body’s metabolism and growth. It does this by producing thyroid hormones that control how quickly the cells in your body break down food to produce energy, as well as how sensitive you are to other hormones such as insulin. The thyroid also controls how fast or slow various functions of the body such as digestion, breathing rate, and heart rate. 

What is thyroid disease?

Thyroid disease is a broad term for an illness that prevents your thyroid from producing the proper amount of hormones. Your thyroid produces hormones to keep your body functioning properly in most cases. Thyroid disease affects men, women, infants, teenagers, and the elderly. It can be diagnosed at birth (typically hypothyroidism) or develop later in life (typically after menopause in females). Thyroid disease is quite common, affecting about 20 million Americans. A woman is approximately five to eight times more likely than a male to be diagnosed with a thyroid problem.

Some people have a higher risk of developing thyroid disease:

• Have a family history of thyroid disease.
• Have a medical condition that affects your ability to produce adequate quantities of cortisol (type 1 diabetes, pernicious anemia, primary adrenal insufficiency, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome and Turner syndrome are examples).
• If you are older than 60, especially in women.
• Have had treatment for a past thyroid condition or cancer

Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are the two most common types of thyroid illness. Both illnesses can be caused by various conditions that affect the operation of the thyroid gland.

Conditions that can cause hypothyroidism include:

• Thyroiditis: An inflammation (swelling) of the thyroid gland is referred to as thyroiditis. Thyroiditis can reduce the number of hormones produced by your thyroid gland.
• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: is a painless illness caused by an autoimmune reaction in which the body’s cells assault and damage the thyroid. This is a genetic disease.
• Postpartum thyroiditis: This condition affects up to 9% of women after childbirth. It’s usually a short-term issue.
• A non-functioning thyroid gland: The thyroid gland may be damaged at birth in some cases. If left unaddressed, the youngster might experience physical and mental problems as an adult. In the hospital, all newborns are subjected to a blood test to assess their thyroid function.

Conditions that can cause hyperthyroidism include:

• Graves’ disease: In this scenario, the entire thyroid gland may be hyperactive, resulting in an overabundance of hormones. Diffuse toxic goiter (enlarged thyroid gland) is another name for this condition.
• Nodules: Nodules in the thyroid that are overactive can produce hyperthyroidism. A toxic autonomously functioning thyroid nodule is a single nodule, while a toxic multi-nodular goiter is made up of many nodules.
• Thyroiditis: Pain is the most frequent symptom of this condition, although some people do not notice it at all. The thyroid gland releases chemicals into the body after an infection. This may go on for a few weeks or months.

Common symptoms of thyroid disease

Thyroid diseases may manifest in a variety of ways. Unfortunately, the symptoms of thyroid disease are frequently similar to those of other medical issues and life stages. It might be difficult to determine whether or not your problems are caused by a thyroid condition or something else.

The following are some of the signs of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism):

• Experiencing anxiety, irritability and nervousness.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Losing weight.
• Enlarged thyroid gland or goiter.
• Muscle weakness and tremors.
• Experiencing irregular menstrual periods or having your menstrual cycle stop.
• Sensitivity to heat.
• Vision problems or eye irritation.

The following are some of the signs of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism):

• Feeling tired.
• Gaining weight.
• Experiencing forgetfulness.
• Frequent and heavy menstrual periods.
• Dry and coarse hair.
• Hoarse voice.
• Experiencing an intolerance to cold temperatures.
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How is thyroid disease diagnosed?

If thyroid disease is suspected, your doctor will do a physical exam and review your medical history. Your physician may conduct some preliminary blood tests to assess thyroid hormone levels in the bloodstream. If thyroid disease is confirmed, you might undergo additional testing to determine which type of thyroid condition you have.

Blood tests

Blood tests are one of the most reliable methods for diagnosing thyroid illness. Thyroid blood testing is used to determine whether your thyroid gland is operating properly by measuring the amount of thyroid hormones in your blood. Hypothyroidism or Hyperthyroidism may be diagnosed with thyroid blood tests.

• Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH):  is produced in the pituitary gland and controls the balance of thyroid hormones in circulation, including T4 and T3. This is generally the first test your doctor will perform to assess for thyroid hormone imbalance.
• T4: Thyroxine: tests are used to diagnose thyroid problems and monitor the treatment of thyroid issues. Hypothyroidism is characterized by low T4 levels, whereas hyperthyroidism is associated with high T4 levels.
• T3: Triiodothyronine: T3 tests are used to diagnose hyperthyroidism or assess its severity. Low T3 levels can be seen in hypothyroidism, but they are more often useful in the diagnosis and treatment of hyperthyroidism when T3 levels are increased.

Imaging

Ultrasound is a type of imaging test that may be ordered by your doctor. This is a diagnostic procedure that uses inaudible high-frequency sound waves to penetrate body tissues. The echoes are recorded and turned into video or photograph images. Ultrasounds are used to picture a variety of conditions inside the human body. Your provider may look at your thyroid to check for increased size, shape, or growths (nodules) using this technique.

Physical exam

A physical examination at Red Rock Family Clinic is yet another approach to rapidly check your thyroid. This is a brief and painless procedure in which your doctor feels your neck for any abnormalities or enlargement of the thyroid gland.

How is thyroid disease treated?

Our goal is to return your thyroid hormone levels to normal. Thyroid function can be improved by a variety of methods, each dependent on the origin of your thyroid problem.

If you have an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), your doctor may prescribe one or more of the following treatments:

• Anti-thyroid medications (methimazole and propylthiouracil): These are drugs that prevent your thyroid from producing hormones.
• Radioactive iodine: This procedure assaults the thyroid cells, preventing them from producing high levels of thyroid hormones.
• Beta-blockers: are used to relieve the symptoms of high blood pressure. These drugs don’t alter the number of hormones in your body, but they do help manage them.
• Surgery: A more permanent form of treatment, your provider may refer you to a specialist to consider surgically removing your thyroid (thyroidectomy). This will stop it from creating hormones. However, you will need to take thyroid replacement hormones for the rest of your life.

If you have hypothyroidism and your thyroid hormones are low (hypothyroidism), the most common treatment is:

• Thyroid hormone replacement therapy: This medication is a man-made approach to reintroduce thyroid hormones into your system. Levothyroxine is one of the most popular medications for this purpose. You may use a medicine to treat hypothyroidism and lead a normal life by controlling it with medicine.

Thyroid disease is a lifelong medical condition that you must constantly manage. This usually includes day-to-day medication. Over time, your doctor will check your therapies and make changes if necessary. However, most people with thyroid disease can live a normal life when it comes to everyday activities. Our primary care providers at Red Rock Family Clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada are here to assist you in living your best life while coping with thyroid disease.