Thyroid

When the body produces too much of a hormone called thryroxine, a person can develop an overactive thyroid. The scientific name for this issue is hyperthyroidism. Basically, when you thyroid is overactive, it causes your metabolism to speed up to unnatural levels causing a number of related health issues.

Some of the reactions from an overactive thyroid may surface in symptoms such as unexplainable and sudden weight loss, nervousness, irritability and an irregular heartbeat. The trouble with hyperthyroidism is that you may display the symptoms but not know you have a problem because the issues can mirror other types of health issues. For instance, you may have noticed weight loss, but since your appetite remains the same or maybe even increases, you may not think something is wrong. Irregular heartbeat is also a common symptom, or heart palpitations. A small tremor in the hands and fingers, like a fine trembling, is also associated with a thyroid problem. For women, you may see a change in your menstrual cycles. Sweating, nervousness, anxiety, sensitivity to light and heat and general irritability might be experienced in people with an overactive thyroid.

Again, you might be thinking that some of these symptoms come and go probably every once in awhile for all people. However, a combination of these issues over time can be a sign of a thyroid problem. In older adults, it is even harder to detect a thyroid problem because other medicines may cover up symptoms. An untreated thyroid problem can wreak havoc on your metabolism and lead to serious complications to the heart, bones, eyes and skin.

The thyroid plays the leading role in the function of your metabolism and body temperature. In a healthy person, a normal amount of thryroxine is produced and your body’s metabolism is kept in check. Though, when too much thryroxine is produced, it disrupts the normal schedule and balance your thyroid maintains in the body, which leads to an overactive thyroid.

There are several scientific reasons why a thyroid is overactive, or in other words, produces too much hormones. Graves’ disease is a common link to an overactive thyroid. Graves’ disease is a disorder that causes your thyroid to be stimulated therefore producing too much thryroxine. Graves is an autoimmune disorder, causes antibodies from your immune system to over stimulate the thyroid. As you know, the immune system is your body’s fighter of bacteria, viruses and disease. However, with Graves’ disease, the antibodies get the wrong signals and affect the thyroid negatively. It attacks the thyroid and sometimes the tissue behind the eyes and the skin. Doctors are unsure where Graves’ disease originates, or why some have it and not others, but most likely it is due to a genetic disposition.

The other leading cause for an overactive thyroid is hyper functioning thyroid nodules. Again, as you can see by the name, this is another case where the thyroid’s adenomas produce too much hormones. This cause leads to benign lumps around the thyroid that cause it to enlarge.

Luckily, most people who have an overactive thyroid are responsive to medication for the problem. If properly diagnosed, there are successful treatments that control the amount of thryroxine produced by the thyroid. Radioactive iodine is commonly prescribed for overactive thyroid. The iodine is soaked by the thyroid causing it to shrink back to normal levels. It slows the thyroid and often has to be taken everyday to keep your thyroid levels in check. Beta-blockers and anti-thyroid medications are also effective. In some cases, a thyroid surgery may be required if you thyroid is unresponsive to medication options.