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McKesson Clinical Reference Systems: Women's Health Advisor 2002.2
Illustration
Hyperthyroidism
What is hyperthyroidism?
Hyperthyroidism is overactivity of the thyroid gland. Too
much thyroid hormone is produced and released into the body.
The excess thyroid hormone speeds up your metabolism (the
process of changing the food you eat into energy), causing
mental and physical changes.
How does it occur?
The exact cause is unknown, but may be:
- Your immune system doesn't work properly.
- Your body may be producing a substance that causes the
thyroid gland to make more hormone than your body needs.
- You have a growth that makes the thyroid gland bigger.
Some thyroid gland problems may be inherited.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms include:
- anxiety, tiredness, or sleeplessness
- feeling shaky, having tremors
- feeling sweaty and hot, even though others around you
are comfortable
- shortness of breath
- difficulty focusing your eyes
- a bulging of one or both of your eyes
- weight loss
- faster heart rate
- enlarged thyroid gland (goiter)
- increased appetite
- diarrhea.
How is it diagnosed?
Your health care provider will ask about your symptoms,
examine you, and order lab tests. Some of these tests
measure hormone levels and others check thyroid gland
function. Your provider may order other tests such as a
thyroid scan and an ultrasound.
How is it treated?
The options for treatment are medication, radiation, and
surgery. These treatments lower the amount of thyroid
hormone in your body.
Antithyroid drugs usually control hyperthyroidism in several
weeks. Propylthiouracil (PTU), propranolol, and methimazole
(Tapazole) are three commonly used drugs. You may need to
keep taking these drugs for a year or longer.
A pill containing radioactive iodine is commonly used to
treat some types of hyperthyroidism, especially if you have
had hyperthyroidism more than once. The main risk of this
treatment is that your thyroid levels will become too low.
A low level of thyroid hormone can be dangerous but it is
easily treated with drugs.
Surgery can be done to remove part or all of the thyroid
gland or a growth in the gland. Surgery cures the disease
90% of the time. However, surgery has certain risks,
including nerve damage and low thyroid levels.
How long will the effects last?
The effects of hyperthyroidism usually last as long as
thyroid hormone levels are too high. Sometimes the disease
improves without treatment. However, it can cause heart
failure and death if it is not treated.
Eye problems related to hyperthyroidism often continue even
after the thyroid problem is treated.
How can I help prevent hypothyroidism?
There is no known way to prevent this condition.
How can I take care of myself?
- Follow the full treatment prescribed by your health care
provider.
- Do not stop or change your thyroid medicine without first
asking your health care provider.
- Have regular checkups.
- Contact your health care provider if you develop any
symptoms that concern you.
Reviewed and approved by the Wilmer Eye Institute of The Johns Hopkins
Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD. Web site: http://www.wilmer.jhu.edu
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