What is overactive thyroid?
The thyroid is found at the front of the neck. It produces hormones that affect things such as your heart rate and body temperature. An overactive thyroid, also known as hyperthyroidism, is where the thyroid gland produces too much of the thyroid hormones. Extra levels of these hormones can cause unpleasant and potentially serious problems that may require treatment. An overactive thyroid can affect anyone, but it’s about 10 times more common in women than men and it typically starts between 20 and 40 years of age.
Symptoms of an overactive thyroid
- nervousness, anxiety and irritability
- mood swings
- difficulty sleeping
- persistent tiredness and weakness
- sensitivity to heat
- swelling in your neck from an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter)
- an irregular and/or unusually fast heart rate (palpitations)
- twitching or trembling
- weight loss
Causes of an overactive thyroid
- Graves’ disease –a common cause of an overactive thyroid, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and damages the thyroid
- lumps (nodules) on the thyroid – this results in extra thyroid tissue, which can mean extra thyroid hormones are produced
- certain medications – such as amiodarone, a medication for an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
Diagnosis
- Thyroid function blood test: A sample of your blood send to a laboratory to check your hormone levels. This is known as a thyroid function test. It’s used to check the levels of:
- thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)– a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that controls the production of thyroid hormones
- triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) –the main thyroid hormones
Your levels will be compared to what’s normal for a healthy person. A low level of TSH and high levels of T3 and/or T4 usually means you have an overactive thyroid.
- Thyroid scan: A thyroid scan may be done to look for problems such as lumps (nodules) on your thyroid. For the test, you’ll be asked to swallow or have an injection of a small amount of a slightly radioactive substance that will be absorbed by your thyroid. A scan is then carried out to see how much of the substance has been absorbed and to examine the size and shape of your thyroid.
- Cholesterol and Triglyceride test: Your doctor may need to check your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Low cholesterol and triglycerides can be a sign of an elevated metabolic rate.
- CT or MRI scans: A CT or MRI can show if a pituitary tumor is present that’s causing the condition.
- Further blood tests: Another blood test may be carried out to look for anti-thyroid antibodies. These are usually found if you have Graves’ disease. A blood test called erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) may also be done to check for inflammation in your body. If there are signs of inflammation, it may mean the increase in thyroid hormones is caused by thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid).
Treatments for an overactive thyroid
An overactive thyroid is usually treatable. The main treatments are:
- medication that stops your thyroid producing too much of the thyroid hormones
- radioiodine treatment – where radiation is used to damage your thyroid, reducing its ability to produce thyroid hormones
- surgery to remove some or all of your thyroid, so that it no longer produces thyroid hormones
Reference:
https://hypothyroidmom.com/maternal-hypothyroidism-and-fetal-brain-development
https://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-disease-pregnancy/
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/86/6/2349/2848391
https://medlineplus.gov/hypothyroidism.html
http://hypothyroidisma.com/hypothyroidism-pregnancy.php
https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/pregnancy-your-thyroid
