Thyroid Gland
The Thyroid gland is responsible for producing and releasing thyroid hormones into the bloodstream. Thyroid hormones regulate the chemical activities in the body responsible for heart and digestive functions, brain development, bone maintenance, cholesterol levels, muscle strength, body weight, menstrual cycles, and much more.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a disorder of the thyroid gland associated with the inability of the underactive thyroid gland to produce sufficient thyroid hormones. A variation of this condition is mild hypothyroidism - a disorder associated with enough thyroid hormone levels but a weak functioning gland.
Hypothyroidism is an autoimmune condition and mostly occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly starts attacking the cells of the thyroid gland. Iodine deficiency is another cause, as well as an excessive dose of medications to treat hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism symptoms vary greatly from person to person, depending on the severity of the condition. Hypothyroidism treatment is with medication.
Hyperthyroidism
In hyperthyroidism, the overactive thyroid gland produces excess thyroid hormone. Too much thyroid hormone production can lead to increased sweating, increased appetite, weight loss, frequent bowel movements, and tiredness. The common causes of are autoimmune thyroid disease, where the gland mistakenly produces more thyroid hormone.
The other causes are swellings and inflammation of the gland, and reactions from other drugs used to treat other conditions. Diagnosis measures the amount of thyroid and thyroid-stimulating hormones in the bloodstream. Hyperthyroidism treatment options are medication, radioactive iodine treatment, and surgery to remove damaged parts of the gland.
Multinodular Goitre
Multinodular goitre is a disorder of the thyroid gland in which the gland is enlarged and has multiple nodules or bumps. The nodules may be visible or discovered via examination or scans. The multinodular thyroid goitre causes are unknown, but they are likely due to different rates of growth in different parts of the gland, in combination with external factors such as diet, drugs, and genes. The symptoms are not visible.
They usually appear when a patient is on test for other conditions. When the goitre grows and becomes noticeable to touch (just below the Adam's apple), the patient may have difficulty breathing when lying down, difficulty swallowing, and hoarseness. Diagnosis is through physical examination, blood and image tests, and biopsy to ascertain the presence of cancer cells.
Treatment depends on the functioning of the thyroid gland. Some multinodular goitres are harmless and don't require treatment. If treatment is needed, medication, radioiodine therapy which shrinks the goitre, and surgery are options.
Thyroid Nodules
Thyroid nodules are lumps or growths of thyroid tissue on the thyroid gland. They are very common, especially among people over 50. Thyroid nodules causes are unknown, but low iodine diets, other thyroid diseases, and a family history of thyroid nodules are risk factors. The symptoms are silent. Most cases appear when a patient is on a test or scan for another condition. Physical examination, scans, blood tests, and cell sample biopsy are used to diagnose the condition. Treatment is via medication, surgery, and thyroid hormone replacement.
Tumours
Thyroid tumours, often called thyroid cancers, are swellings in the thyroid gland caused by abnormal growth of tissues in the gland. Sometimes the tumours may cause hyperthyroidism. They may be benign tumours or cancerous.
The symptoms include the presence of a lump in the neck, a lump near the collar bone, difficulty in breathing, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, weight loss, sweating, frequent bowel movements, and difficulty sleeping. Physical examination, blood tests, biopsy, and scans are methods of diagnosing the condition. The treatment options are radioactive iodine therapy and surgery.
Medullary Thyroid Cancer / Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma
Medullary thyroid cancer (also known as Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma or MTC) is an abnormal growth of cells in the thyroid gland. The disorder occurs when the thyroid gland parafollicular cells or C-cells (that control amounts of calcium in the blood) begin to split and grow by themselves. Sometimes, the abnormal cells break away from the tumour and spread to other parts of the body.
Causes of MTC are genetic, thyroid diseases, and previous radiation therapy. Some of the symptoms of MTC are Diarrhea, shortness of breath, noisy breathing, flushed skin, increased fat on the collar area, neck, back, and puffy face. Urine, blood, biopsy, and scans are some of the methods of test and diagnosis. Treatment options are chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.
Abnormal Thyroid Function Tests
Abnormal thyroid function tests are one of the different types of thyroid disorders that don't have clinical symptoms. There are two common types - subclinical hypothyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism.
In subclinical hypothyroidism, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) produced by the pituitary gland to help the thyroid produce T3 and T4 hormones are slightly higher than usual, while the T3 and T4 are normal. In subclinical hyperthyroidism, TSH levels are lower than usual, while T3 and T4 levels are normal.
Some of the subclinical hypothyroidism causes are a family history of autoimmune thyroid disease. Other causes are an injury to the thyroid during head or neck surgery, use of radioactive iodine therapy to treat hyperthyroidism and use of medication containing lithium or iodine.
Some of the subclinical hyperthyroidism causes are Grave's disease, an autoimmune disease that causes excess thyroid hormone production. Other causes are thyroid tumours, multinodular goitre, inflammation of the thyroid gland, and excessive TSH-suppressive therapy.
Common symptoms of subclinical hypothyroidism are constipation, fatigue, and weight gain. Other hypothyroidism symptoms are brain fog, intolerance to cold, and depression. The common symptoms of subclinical hyperthyroidism are weight loss, irritability, and palpitations.
Other symptoms are intolerance to heat, difficulty concentrating, and tremors mostly in the hands or fingers. TSH blood test and hormone levels tests are methods of diagnosing the conditions. Treatment depends on the underlying causes.
For more information on the thyroid gland, please visit Hormones Australia website.