When the thyroid gland is sick, it does not hurt and usually does not react for a long time. But the effects of disturbances in the work of this gland affect the entire body. Thyroid diseases - hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's disease, Graves' disease - should not be taken lightly. What are the symptoms of thyroid disease and how are they treated?

The thyroid glandis located in front of the neck, just below the larynx. It is only about the size of a large butterfly and even slightly resembles it in shape. Low weight, not exceeding 30 grams, does not correspond to the huge role it plays in the body. The thyroid gland is a gland that secretes hormones into the blood, the importance of which can be compared to the power of the powerful engines that jets are equipped with. Thanks to them, you gain a drive for life and the body can develop properly.Thyroid diseasesshould not be taken lightly.

Diseases of the thyroid gland - symptoms

Such important hormones are thyroxin (abbreviated as T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). It's good to know their markings, because they may appear on a referral to the laboratory when the doctor wants to check the condition of your thyroid gland. He may be prompted by her enlargement, well felt on the neck - popularly known as goiter.

But it also happens that the goiter cannot be seen, and there are symptoms suggesting a malfunction of the gland: shortness of breath, pressure, difficulty swallowing, which are not caused by any other causes.

And there may also be ailments that at first glance are difficult to associate with the function of the thyroid gland. Because who would associate insomnia, increased sweating or weight loss with substances circulating in the blood due to a gland located at the base of the neck?

Or palpitations, diarrhea or vice versa - constipation, weight gain, dry skin? Meanwhile, these are the symptoms of thyroid diseases.

A serious consequence of the inborn lack of thyroid hormones was once cretinism, manifested by underdevelopment of the skeletal and nervous systems.

Today in Poland no children are born with this defect, the cause of which was found to be iodine deficiency in the diet of pregnant women. However, pregnant women are so far the only group in our country that doctors have managed to convince to consume iodine in the correct amounts. The rest, for some reason, avoid it in the diet.

Why, however, is it iodine deficiency that makes itthe thyroid gland increases its volume? Shouldn't the lack of it rather reduce it? Well, if we compare the thyroid gland to a steel mill, its hormones to steel, and iodine to the raw material necessary for its production, the factory will try to compensate for its deficiencies at all costs, so as not to inhibit the entire production.

And this is what happens in this gland: with iodine deficiency, the thyroid gland increases in volume so that it can constantly produce hormones at all costs.

Thyroid diseases - research

Testing the level of thyroid hormones

If you want to check the condition of the thyroid gland, you should first of all perform laboratory tests to determine the level of thyrotropin (TSH) in the blood produced by the pituitary gland of the brain and the so-called free triiodothyronine (FT3 - Free T3) and free thyroxine (FT4), which, unlike T3 and T4, do not bind to proteins in the serum.

Standards:

  • T3 from 2 to 10 mU / l
  • T4 5 to 12 μg / dl
  • FT3 2.3 to 6.6 ng / ml
  • FT4 from 0.9 to 2.4 ng / ml (below normal result means hypothyroidism, and above normal value means hyperthyroidism)
  • TSH from 0.27 to 4.0 mU / l (a decrease in TSH concentration indicates an overactive thyroid gland, an increased level of TSH - indicates an underactive thyroid gland).

In addition to measuring the level of hormones in the blood, the thyroid gland can be tested to determine its structure and the ability to produce hormones.

  • Thyroid ultrasound

Reveals tiny nodules that may not be visible on scintigraphy, as well as all gland tissue not accumulating radioisotope. The doctor obtains the image of the thyroid gland on the computer screen by means of ultrasound waves generated by the head, which is placed on the skin directly above the examined gland. There are no contraindications for this test.

  • Scintigraphy (SCC), i.e. a radioisotope examination of the thyroid gland

Uses radioactive isotopes. These are usually technetium or radioactive iodine. The aim of the examination is to determine the position and size of the goiter and to determine the nature of the nodules (thickenings) on its surface.

The research, despite the scary-sounding name, is safe. The only contraindication is pregnancy and breastfeeding. The patient receives the marker (element) orally or intravenously, is placed on a special table, placing the bottom of the neck under the apparatus with the sensor.

The result in the form of an image of the examined organ is printed by the computer. Lumps that do not accumulate the radioisotope are "cold" and may indicate the danger of neoplastic changes. 'Hot' lumps that accumulate the marker may suggest an overactive thyroid gland.

  • Fine-needle aspiration biopsy

Thanks to it, you can collect a fragment of the diseased tissue for histological examination. A biopsy is performed using a special needle that is inserted into the gland, and then the tissue is removed with a syringe. It is not a painful or dangerous procedure. It allows you to determine the nature of any neoplastic changes and, in the case of cancer, start treatment as soon as possible.

Diseases of the thyroid gland - the necessary balance of hormones

The brain, or rather the pituitary gland located at its base, also plays a role in the mechanism of producing hormones in the thyroid gland. Well, under normal conditions, the pituitary gland regulates the secretion of thyroxine and triiodothyronine.

When the thyroid gland signals that there is a reduced amount of hormones circulating in the blood, the pituitary gland begins to produce another hormone, thyrotropin (TSH), which stimulates the thyroid cells to secrete T3 and T4.

When iodine is deficient, the thyroid gland produces an increased amount of the hormone T3, but it still feels that there is not enough hormone in the serum. So the pituitary gland informs about it, which secretes thyrotropin that mobilizes thyroid cells to increase production. In this way, the gland grows and the feedback mechanism adversely drives itself.

Treatment of thyroid diseases is therefore a difficult balancing act on a rope that cannot be stretched inappropriately in any direction. The subtle balance between the pituitary gland, thyroid gland and the hormones circulating in the bloodstream must be kept at all times. You can help it with a proper diet and spending holidays by the sea, because only in this way will you naturally provide the thyroid with the right amount of iodine.

Thyroid diseases - treatment: preferably at the seaside

Medicine became interested in iodine only at the beginning of the 20th century, when its role in reducing thyroid hypertrophy was appreciated. In 1909, the American David Marine began to study iodine treatment of goiter, and ten years later, the addition of potassium iodide to table s alt in Switzerland. Doctors were concerned about the high number of cases of thyroid disease among adolescents living in the Alps.

The lack of iodine in the diet began to supplement with iodized s alt tablets. Iodine is called a microelement or a trace element, because it is necessary for the body only in small amounts (the optimal amount of iodine in the diet should range from 120 to 150 μg). Unfortunately, it is found in nature quite rarely. In the form of chemical compounds, it occurs in seawater and in many natural brines - hence only some algae and sea fish can accumulate it.

We do not eat algae, fish - we should as often as possible, because next to usiodized s alt is the best source of this valuable microelement.

In people living in the 12-kilometer coastal belt, neutral goiter, caused by hypothyroidism and reduced iodine intake, is the least common, probably due to the climate and more fish eaten.

Thyroid diseases - excess iodine causes hyperthyroidism

The causes of thyroid enlargement should not be seen only in the lack of iodine in the diet. Heavy metals (e.g. fluorine, cadmium, mercury, lead) present in the poisoned environment and the deficiency of other trace elements (selenium, magnesium, copper) also have a volatile effect. However, in order to maintain the proper function of the thyroid gland, which produces its hormones from iodine, only this element is so important.

There are also opposite situations, when an excess of iodine may lead to the development of hyperfunction of the gland and Graves' disease, with paralysis of the eye muscles and the characteristic proptosis of the eyeball. In these people, iodine intake is not recommended, and the disease itself is usually autoimmune.

Women, due to their greater sensitivity to the hormonal game and the influence of estrogens, have an increased tendency to develop autoimmune diseases - and therefore hyperthyroidism is several times more common in them than in men (hypothyroidism, often in the form of Hashimoto's disease, also happens to women 5 times more often than men).

Slight hypothyroidism is usually mild, but it is common - its prevalence in the general population (especially among older women) is estimated to be as high as 10%. However, enlargement of the thyroid gland, caused by its hypothyroidism, can be a dangerous risk factor in cancer.

In Poland, the incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing, especially outside the seaside, i.e. where iodine deficiencies are the highest. So let's think about prophylaxis in time and not be surprised by the serious consequences of the lack of interest in this small - though priceless - organ.

  • Hashimoto's disease: causes, symptoms, treatment
  • Thyroid research: getting to the truth about the thyroid gland
  • Diseases of the thyroid gland: symptoms in women depending on age
  • What are the effects of thyroid disease?

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