The thyroid is a gland. You have glands throughout your body, where they create and release substances that help your body do a specific task. Your thyroid makes hormones that help control many vital functions of your body. If these hormones are overproduced or underproduced, a Thyroid disease is more than likely to occur. Sad to say that millions of Americans are affected by a Thyroid condition.
Fortunately , AFC Urgent Care Norwalk has constructed an educative guideline that will show the causes, symptoms, and be able to give treatment advice for Thyroid disease.
How does a Thyroid condition come about?
Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism are the two common categories of Thyroid disease.
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Hypothyroidism:
With hypothyroidism your thyroid gland can’t make enough hormones to function well.. In hypothyroidism, the gland’s hormone production slows. This, in turn, slows your metabolism, which can lead to weight gain and other symptoms.
Hyperthyroidism:
As its name suggests, hyperthyroidism occurs when your body makes too much of the thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), and becomes overactive. If you have hyperthyroidism, you may experience a fast heartbeat, increased appetite, anxiety, sensitivity to heat, or sudden weight loss.
A thyroid condition occurs when the Thyroid gland produces too much of its hormones or if the gland produces too little of its hormones.
Conditions that can cause hypothyroidism include:
- Thyroiditis: This condition is an inflammation (swelling) of the thyroid gland. Thyroiditis can lower the amount of hormones your thyroid produces.
- Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: A painless disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition where the body’s cells attack and damage the thyroid. This is an inherited condition.
- Postpartum Thyroiditis: This condition occurs in 5% to 9% of women after childbirth. It’s usually a temporary condition.
- Iodine deficiency: Iodine is used by the thyroid to produce hormones. An iodine deficiency is an issue that affects several million people around the world..
- A non-functioning thyroid gland: Sometimes, the thyroid gland doesn’t work correctly from birth. This affects about 1 in 4,000 newborns. If left untreated, the child could have both physical and mental issues in the future. All newborns are given a screening blood test in the hospital to check their thyroid function.
Conditions that can cause hyperthyroidism include:
- Grave’s disease In this condition the entire thyroid gland might be overactive and produce too much hormone. This problem is also called diffuse toxic goiter (enlarged thyroid gland).
- Nodules Hyperthyroidism can be caused by nodules that are overactive within the thyroid. A single nodule is called a toxic autonomously functioning thyroid nodule, while a gland with several nodules is called a toxic multinodular goiter.
- Thyroiditis: This disorder can be either painful or not felt at all. In thyroiditis, the thyroid releases hormones that were stored there. This can last for a few weeks or months.
- Excessive iodine: When you have too much iodine (the mineral that is used to make thyroid hormones) in your body, the thyroid makes more thyroid hormones than it needs. Excessive iodine can be found in some medications (amiodarone, a heart medication) and cough syrups.
Symptoms Of A Thyroid Disorder
There are many symptoms for Thyroid disease. Many of the symptoms can be minor and can be easily mistaken for something that will “go away soon.” If you experience any of the following symptoms, it’s highly recommended to get in contact with a medical professional.
- Feeling fatigue
- Unusual short of breath
- Abnormal heartbeat
- Insomnia
- Menstruation change
- Skin discoloration
Diagnosing A Thyroid Condition
At AFC Urgent Care Norwalk our medical professionals will pinpoint the Thyroid disease. The doctors will perform some of the following tests:
- Blood tests - Thyroid blood tests are used to tell if your thyroid gland is functioning properly by measuring the amount of thyroid hormones in your blood.
- Physical exams - . This is a painless test where the medical professional feels your gland to see if there is any abnormality.
- Medical History - The medical history is important to review because it can cross out any other potential conditions
These tests are painless and will help both you and the doctor understand what is going on with your Thyroid gland.
Come to AFC Urgent Care Norwalk
AFC Urgent Care Norwalk is here to attend you. Our doors are open 7 days a week and we take in walk-ins as well as appointments. Our medical professionals will be here and will do the best they can to attend you. Do not hesitate to ask any questions or state any concerns you may have.
