Your thyroid gland is responsible for many vital functions inside the body, and when something goes wrong, a number of different conditions can set in. We want to explain some common conditions that affect your thyroid gland, and discuss the treatment options. Below, we take a closer look at some conditions that commonly affect your thyroid gland.
Thyroiditis
Thyroiditis is a blanket term to describe inflammation of the thyroid gland. Inflammation can be caused by overproduction or underproduction of certain thyroid hormones, or another condition like an autoimmune disorder. It can cause pain in the throat region, weight gain, tiredness, dry skin and constipation, and is best managed with anti-inflammatory medications and beta blockers.
Goiter
A goiter develops when your thyroid gland grows or swells. A goiter can be non-symptomatic, or it can cause an overproduction or underproduction of essential hormones. It produces similar symptoms as thyroiditis, but most goiters can be identified with the naked eye because it it involves an obvious enlargement of the gland or nearby nodules. Treatment often involves medication to improve iodine levels, but a minimally invasive operation to remove part of the gland may be needed in extreme cases.
Hyperthyroidism
Hypothyroidism is categorized by an overactive thyroid gland that produces too many hormones. This can lead to weight loss, rapid heartbeat, sweating, anxiousness and difficulty falling asleep. Medications and beta blockers usually help to get the thyroid gland back to the right level of hormone production, and surgery is reserved for rare cases that medications can’t correct.
Hypothyroidism
On the flip side, hypothyroidism is caused by an underproduction of the vital hormones produced by the thyroid gland. This is commonly caused by thyroiditis, or it can occur if you need to have part of the thyroid removed for another reason, like thyroid cancer. Medications can help to try and increase hormone production in the thyroid, or they can help supplement hormone levels. Almost all patients can get their hypothyroidism under control by taking a daily pill.
Graves Disease
Graves disease is oftentimes the root cause of hyperthyroidism. It is an autoimmune disease that produces antibodies that cause the thyroid to continue producing certain hormones even though more hormones aren’t needed. This overproduction leads to hyperthyroidism. Medications, radioactive iodine therapy and surgery are common ways to treat the condition.
Thyroid Nodules
Thyroid nodules are abnormal tissue overgrowths on the thyroid gland. Most times they are benign, but a small number are cancerous. Most nodules are non-symptomatic, and most people do not know they have nodules on their thyroid, but some can lead to hyperthyroidism. Noncancerous nodules that are causing issues are usually treated with radioactive iodine or alcohol ablation to shrink the growth.
Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer comes in a number of different forms, be it papillary, medullary, follicular or Hurthle cell cancer. Most causes of thyroid cancer require surgery to remove the cancer from the body, and success rates increase depending on how quickly the cancer is discovered.
