Part of the endocrine system of the body, the thyroid regulates metabolism through the production of hormones. Many people have imbalances in this gland and these imbalances can cause many different symptoms, including but certainly not limited to weight gain or loss which is unable to be regulated by diet or exercise.
Thyroid dysfunction can be broadly divided into under activity, hypothyroidism, or over activity also known as hyperthyroidism. If it is under active, it is not producing enough hormones and if overactive, it is producing too much. Either condition will lead to a metabolic imbalance but the resulting symptoms will depend upon which of these is present.
In the case of hyperthyroidism, the metabolism works too quickly. This will result in weight loss and increased appetite with an inability to gain weight. To a person with weight problems, that might seem ideal. However, it also leads to a speeding up of the entire sympathetic nervous system which in turn can lead to anxiety, palpitations, respiratory problems and a host of other ills.
A too slow metabolism and, therefore, weight gain and edema are hallmark symptoms of an under active thyroid. Other symptoms besides the slower metabolism include depression, fatigue, and feeling the cold more than usual.
Symptoms tend to appear over a period of time, perhaps weeks or even months. And, as most of the symptoms are not specific only to thyroid problems, it can be difficult for the sufferer to know that they need to seek out a doctor. For example, one does not first think of hypothyroidism when one feels unusually tired.
Once a person does seek the help of a medical professional, there are various tests that can be done to diagnose thyroid disease including, but not limited to, blood tests, as these alone do not always give an accurate assessment. There are many possible causes of either an under active or overactive thyroid and there are different ways to deal with the conditions as well.
For an overactive thyroid, surgery is normally not recommended if it is possible to avoid. There are medications that can help to balance out the hormone levels, although if too high doses are given, the patient may be pushed into hypothyroidism. In some cases, people taking these medications will end up having remissions of their condition. Another common treatment is with radioactive iodine. However, this treatment is somewhat controversial, due to the inherent radioactivity.
In the case of hypothyroidism, treatment is almost always the taking of medication to replace the thyroid hormones. Generally, these medications are synthetic although there are some available that are produced from the thyroids of pigs.
Among the various alternative therapies which are now considered are yoga and other breathing exercises, acupressure, acupuncture, herbal supplements, and diet. Generally, these therapies are thought to be more effective if the condition is treated in the beginning before the imbalance becomes too severe. Even for people who need to be on medication of some type, these therapies may help to improve the thyroid imbalances as well.
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