If you are like most people, you have probably never heard of the thyroid gland until you were diagnosed with a thyroid condition. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the neck that plays a major role in metabolism and energy levels. There are many different thyroid conditions, and each one can cause different symptoms. In this blog post, we will discuss the 5 most common thyroid conditions and their symptoms.
What is a Thyroid?
The thyroid gland is an important part of your body. It’s located in the front portion, just below where you’ll find the hairline and above the neckline on either side near the windpipe (trachea). Shaped like a butterfly with two wide wings extending down towards the throat area where it helps regulate many vital functions for human survival such as metabolism!
Most Common Causes of Thyroid Problems
Thyroid disorders are common and may arise when your thyroid produces too much hormone (hyperthyroidism) or not enough. They can cause bothersome symptoms such as irritability, fatigue weight gain/loss, and goiter(enlarged thyroids). Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune response against cells in the immune system responsible for producing antigens that trigger inflammation.
Symptoms vary among individuals but many will experience difficulty sleeping due to billowing heat censorship, and keen emotions exacerbated by stress – these extra feelings could come out, either way, depending on the person. Some might experience weight gain or loss, hair loss, brittle nails, and constipation. If you have any of these symptoms, it’s important to consult with a doctor to get your thyroid checked.
What are the 5 Most Common Thyroid Conditions and Their Symptoms?
Thyroid conditions are relatively common, with around 20 million Americans affected. There are a number of different thyroid conditions, each with its own set of symptoms. The most common thyroid conditions include:
Hashimoto’s disease
Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disorder that can lead to cell death due to the immune system attacking thyroid cells as if they were bacteria, viruses, or some other foreign body. Although there’s no clear cause of how this happens in Hashimotos’ patients yet, research has found certain factors may increase your chances of developing it such as genetic makeup along with environmental triggers like infection stress radiation exposure.
Hashimoto’s disease is a slow progression that can take years to notice. As your body becomes less able to produce its own hormones, you may experience any number of signs and symptoms such as:
- fatigue or sluggishness
- increased sensitivity to cold weather (especially effects on the hands)
- sleepiness & drowsiness during activity
- dry skin which leads, in turn, causes hair loss/thinning facial bone weakness leading to muscle aches stiff joints pain/stiffness
- irregular menstruation
- swelling tongue
- irritability
- changeableness mood swings and depression
Graves’ disease
Hyperthyroidism is a condition that results from an overproduction of thyroid hormones. Graves’ disease, one type of hyper THYROIDITIS has been linked as its cause and can therefore be treated by medication alone if left untreated or improperly treated for too long!
Common signs and symptoms of Graves’ disease include:
- anxiety
- irritability a fine tremor in the hands or fingers
- heat sensitivity
- an increase in perspiration
- warm moist skin
- weight loss despite normal eating habits
- enlargement thyroid gland goiter
- change menstrual cycles
- erectile dysfunction reduced libido
- frequent bowel movements
- bulging eyes (Graves ophthalmopathy)
- fatigue thick red skin on shins/tops of feet rapids heartbeat(palpation)
Thyroiditis
Thyroiditis is a condition that causes inflammation of the thyroid gland. The butterfly-shaped organ at your endocrine system’s forefront controls many functions in our bodies by producing and releasing hormones that regulate everything from heart rate to metabolism.
Thyroiditis is a condition that causes your thyroid gland to produce too much or little hormones. Most types of thyroids will cause symptoms like the following:
- hyperthyroidism (overactive) and hypothyroidism(underactive)
- some people may also experience pain in their neck area due to the size change from enlarged goiter caused by particular kinds of this disease- acute infectious stage being one example
Goiter
Goiters are enlarged thyroid glands that can be caused by a lack of iodine in the diet or factors affecting its growth. Worldwide, they’re most commonly due to an irregular cell patterning that forms one or more lumps (nodules) inside your neck near where there would otherwise just have been skin tone– this type doesn’t change how far along something is developmental though so it may not affect function at all!
The goiter or swelling of the neck is usually only discovered during a routine medical exam. Signs and symptoms depend on whether thyroid function changes; how quickly it grows (and if this obstructs breathing), as well as what other conditions may be present at time point too – for example an imaging test might also show something else!
Thyroid cancer
Thyroid cancer is a growing disease that starts in the thyroid gland. The small butterfly-shaped organ at the base of your neck, just below where you feel Adam’s apple when drinking deeply or talking loudly – this area is called “thyroids.” Thyroids produce hormones that regulate things like heart rate and blood pressure as well as body temperature with impacts on every aspect related to human health such as weight gain/loss; mood swings (including depression); difficulty swallowing caused by advanced stages of illness; and even hearing loss.
The cause of most thyroid cancers is unknown but there are some risk factors that can increase your chance of developing the disease such as having had radiation therapy to the head or neck region (for other cancers), a family history of the disease, and being exposed to high levels of iodine.
The most common symptom of thyroid cancer is a lump or swelling in the neck area, often painless, that you can feel or that is noticed by a doctor during a routine examination. Other symptoms can include hoarseness or voice changes that do not go away; difficulty swallowing; constant coughing unrelated to a cold or allergies; and unexplained weight loss/gain.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please call our office today. We can help you get the testing and treatment that you need to feel better. Knowing the most common thyroid conditions and their symptoms is a good first step in taking charge of your health. Don’t wait until it’s too late-call us today!
Do You Need a Functional Medical Clinic You Can Trust?
As you know Functional Medicine asks how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of disease for each individual. Our goal for all of our patients at Hope for Healing is to optimize whole health, wellness, immunity, and longevity and find and fix the root problems permanently. All of our licensed medical providers have been trained by the Institute for Functional Medicine (ifm.org) and work collaboratively as part of the provider team under the leadership and direction of Paula Kruppstadt MD DABP FAAP IFMCP. We are trained to listen to our patients and take the time to do an appropriate root-cause analysis to find and implement permanent solutions together. If this sounds like we’d be the right fit for you, contact us today at (281) 725-6767!
Disclaimer
The materials available on this website are for informational and entertainment purposes only and not to provide health advice. You should contact your physician to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. You should not act or refrain from acting based on any content included in this site without seeking medical, legal or other professional advice. The information presented on this website may not reflect the most current medical developments. No action should be taken in reliance on the information contained on this website and we disclaim all liability in respect to actions taken or not taken based on any or all of the contents of this site to the fullest extent permitted by law.
