If you have Thyroid problem, you are certainly not alone. Thyroid problems affect the thyroid, a gland in the neck that helps control many of the body’s most important functions. Thyroid dysfunction affects people of all ages and can be categorised into three main types: overactive (hyperthyroidism), underactive (hypothyroidism), or cancerous. Thyroid problems not only affect our growth and energy metabolism but also exist simultaneously with other illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and gastrointestinal disorders.
The most common symptoms of hyperthyroidism are weight loss, anxiety and apprehension, an intolerance to heat, a hurried heartbeat and the tendency to become fatigued doing ordinary activities. A diagnosis would discover decreased levels of TSH and increased levels of FT4 or free tri-iodothyronine (FT3). Subclinical hyperthyroidism is diagnosed when TSH is declined but FT4 and FT3 levels are within the normal range.
Hypothyroidism symptoms can be quite varied and can include a poor memory and depression, sensitivity to cold, tiredness, flat, weight gain, constipation, aches, dry skin and depression. Hypothyroidism may be associated with a goitre (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis) or without (atrophic thyroiditis or primary myxoedema). Hypothyroidism is more common in women than in man. This may due to women’s propensity to hormone imbalances
In the UK, hypothyroidism is usually due to autoimmune hypothyroidism or thyroid damage after surgery or radioactive iodine therapy.
