Extensive Thyroid Care in Greenville SC
In the news today we hear about people having an underactive thyroid, or an overactive one. But there are more conditions that can affect the thyroid besides just working too much and not working enough. Let’s take a look at some of these other conditions and how they affect the thyroid and the body.
First, let’s remember that there is an underactive or low thyroid, which is also called being hypothyroid and it is when your thyroid does not make enough of the hormones that it should. Then there is they state of being hyperthyroid, where the thyroid makes far too many hormones for the body; many more than it should.
If you have thyroid problems, you may get a goiter. A goiter is a term that simply refers to a swollen thyroid. It can be painful or painless. It can simply mean that the thyroid is inflamed, or it can be a sign that there is an iodine deficiency in the body, or that the person has Hashimoto’s Disease.
Hashimoto’s Disease is an autoimmune disease where they body attacks the thyroid and as a result, the thyroid functions at a lower level of activity than it should. The person is then said to be hypothyroid. Hashimoto’s Disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. People who have Hashimoto’s disease have symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, intolerance to cold temperatures, sleepiness, dry hair and skin, swollen legs and increased cholesterol. Thyroiditis is a general term for inflammation of the thyroid. It usually occurs when the person has an illness or a virus, and then it passes. It may have no symptoms at all, or it may be very painful.
Graves’ Disease is a condition where the thyroid is constantly stimulated to produce more and more hormones, and the thyroid is working overtime. Graves’ Disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in the United States. Its sufferers have symptoms such as hand tremors, frequent bowel movements, thin, brittle hair, weight loss and trouble sleeping. It affects women more often than men. Another condition that affects the thyroid is thyroid cancer. It is unusual to get thyroid cancer and it is handled with a combination of surgery, radiation and hormone replacement.
Much more common are thyroid nodules. A person might have thyroid nodules for years and never know. They are small masses or lumps in the thyroid and are rarely cancerous. They just sort of hang around. Sometimes these nodules secrete excess thyroid hormones and can cause hyperthyroidism but sometimes they just sit there and do nothing, causing no problems.
There is a very rare form of hyperthyroidism called a thyroid storm, and it occurs when there are incredibly high levels of thyroid hormone present in the body. It is serious and very severe but rest assured that it is very rare. And with routine visits to a functional wellness practitioner, you need not worry about your own situation becoming so very serious. Make sure that you take charge of your good health and wellness by seeing your healthcare professional regularly.
