Understanding Overactive Thyroid

An overactive thyroid can be a problem that may be hard to detect at first because the symptoms are commonly found in many problems. An overactive thyroid means that your thyroid is producing too much of its hormone, which is not a good thing. It can cause many symptoms that are not good for your health.

Some of the symptoms of an overactive thyroid would be shortness of breath, shaking, and frequent bowel movements. You will notice a major different in shortness in breath after you exercise. These symptoms can be confused with others because they are quite common.

Having trouble sleeping at night could be another sign of an overactive thyroid. You can perhaps even see some swelling in the neck area, and this may be a warning sign. If you are having some of these symptoms, you will want to get into your doctor’s office to have it checked out.

Your doctor will ask you some questions about what is going on to see if you are having thyroid problems. The first kinds of tests that they most commonly run is some simple blood work to check the levels of your thyroid hormones. These tests will be able to tell if you have an underactive or overactive thyroid.

There are a couple of other tests that your doctor may want to do to check your thyroid. The first is a thyroid scan. This is an ultrasound to look at your thyroid and measure it. They may even choose to do an iodine test where iodine is injected in your blood which will test your thyroid.

Once your doctor has run tests for your thyroid and discovered that it is in fact an overactive thyroid, they will want to start treatment. They will most likely put you on beta blockers, to help control the amount of hormone your thyroid produces. You do not want to take too much as it could cause an underactive thyroid. Finding the correct dosage could take time.

You will be placed on beta blockers typically for six to eighteen months to see if that corrects the problem. Your doctor will run periodic tests to monitor the hormone level to see if anything needs to be adjusted. Having an overactive thyroid is a problem that many have to deal with, but it can be taken care of with proper medication as well as proper monitoring.

Look for the warning signs and symptoms of an overactive thyroid and consult your doctor right away if you notice the symptoms. A diagnosis is simple, as well as treatment to solve the problem.


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Understanding Underactive Thyroid

There are many different problems that can occur with the thyroid. The thyroid is a gland in your neck that produces a hormone. These hormones help control how your body burns energy. If you thyroid is not working properly and not producing enough or any of the hormone, you have an underactive thyroid.

Some of the symptoms that you may experience with a underactive thyroid would be feeling tired a lot, and even some weight gain. Some of the smallest tasks will seem so difficult to do because you just won’t feel like you have the energy to do so. You may feel weak and very brittle. This is the main sign of an underactive thyroid, but it can be hard to detect as they are common symptoms of many problems.

You may experience some depression with an underactive thyroid. Your skin may be pale and dry, and you may even get a little constipated. An underactive thyroid will slow your system down, and if you are experiencing any of these symptoms you should talk to your doctors to discuss what you have been feeling so that they may run some tests on you.

Your doctor can run some blood tests to see if your levels of thyroid hormones are correct. They may also choose to do a quick physical exam, as well as examine your neck. This will allow them to tell if you are experiencing an underactive thyroid, also known as hypothyroidism.

If your doctor does find out that you have an underactive thyroid, it can be managed by taking a thyroxin replacement to help. It will take some time to get adjusted to the right dose of it though. If too much of the drug is taken, it could cause an overactive thyroid, which would mean that your thyroid is producing too much of the hormone, which is also not good.

An underactive thyroid can be quite common, but with proper diagnoses of it and medicine it can be kept under control. Watch for the symptoms, and if you have not had any other illness, you may want to consult your doctor to see if you potentially have a problem with your thyroid. Testing is simple as well as the proper management of it. It will help you get your energy back, so that you can move onto bigger and better things.

Understanding thyroid disease

Many people are affected by a thyroid disease. The symptoms of a thyroid problem are quite common symptoms so they can easily be confused with other issues. If you are experiencing any of these problems, you should consult your doctor so that they may run some tests to see if in fact you do have a thyroid disease.

The thyroid produces a hormone that will regulate your body’s metabolism. One of the biggest warning signs of a thyroid disease is a lack of energy. You will just feel run down, or even some of the smallest tasks will seem difficult. If you are experiencing any lack of energy that cannot be because of something else, you may have a thyroid problem.

Other symptoms that you may notice would be constipation and carpal tunnel. Carpal tunnel is a pain in your wrists or even numbness in your hands. These are another two of the more common symptoms that you will see early one. As with all the symptoms of a thyroid problem, these are common symptoms presented with many other illnesses.

Some of the later symptoms of a thyroid disease would be a poor appetite, weight gain, dry skin, and even hair loss. It is important that you discuss with your doctor some of the things that you are experiencing so that they can properly diagnose you and help you get treatment.

There are a few different tests that your doctor can do to see if you in fact do have a thyroid disease. Most common would be to do a simple blood test, which would stimulate your thyroid. If there is an excessive amount of hormone release, it could be a sign of a thyroid disease.

Your doctor may also want to run additional tests such as a thyroid scan or even an ultrasound. A thyroid scan takes a small amount of radioactive iodine and it is injected into the blood. Then, an x-ray image will be taken to see if there is an increased uptake of the material. This may be a sign of hypothyroidism.

It is important to understand the symptoms and causes of a thyroid disease so that you will be able to see the warning signs. Some thyroid diseases can be taken care of with medicine, while others may lead to cancer and require surgery. Detecting it early can help you get it back on track.

Common Thyroid Problems

Thyroid problems are something that a lot of people deal with. There are many different symptoms that you will want to watch out for, though they can be easily confused with other problems. Some of the symptoms of a thyroid problem would be easily exhausted, excessive weight loss or gain, or sore around the neck area.

One of the common thyroid problems is hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid does not produce enough of its hormone. It may also occur when there is not enough iodine available for the hormone to produce. If there is actually a problem with your pituitary gland or your thyroid gland.

Some of the common symptoms of hypothyroidism would be low energy and depression. These signs could easily pass you by because they can be mistaken for so many other things. Other signs of hypothyroidism would be constipation, weight gain, or even muscle pain.

Another common thyroid problem is called hyperthyroidism, in which your thyroid gland produces too much hormone. Your body’s immune system over stimulates your thyroid and causes a problem. This is basically the complete opposite of hypothyroidism, but is sometimes a more common problem.

Some of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism would be a feeling of shakiness or nervousness, feeling hot, or frequent bowel movements. You may even experience rapid weight loss, or even hair loss. If you are experiencing some of these symptoms you may want to consult a doctor to see if you are suffering hyperthyroidism.

Another thyroid problem that you could experience is nodules. Nodules are lumps in the tissues of the thyroid, which are hard to detect. They can be common in people who have had therapeutic radiation in your head or neck. The majority of nodules are benign, but there have been some that been cancerous.

These are the three most common problems of the thyroid. Most of the symptoms to these problems can be quite common with other issues, and may be difficult to diagnose with simple symptoms. If you have been having multiple symptoms to one of these problems, you should consult your doctor so that they may run tests to see if you have one of these problems.

A couple of the tests that they would do would be a blood test or perhaps even a thyroid scan. Both are painless and will help detect any problems you may be having with your thyroid.

Signs and Symptoms of Thyroid Problems

There are a lot of people who suffer with different kinds of thyroid problems, but they can be easily managed or taken care of with proper diagnoses and medication. It is important that you look at the warning signs and symptoms and know about them so you can properly find the problem.

If you are suffering from hypothyroidism, your thyroid is not producing enough hormones. When this is the case, the following are some symptoms that you may experience.

Feeling weak, tired, and a loss of energy of some common and early warning signs of an underactive thyroid. These symptoms are quite common though, and can be easily mistaken for other problems.

Depression and weight gain may be more warning signs for an even bigger underactive thyroid problem. The body is not producing enough of it’s hormone, give you less energy and causing weight gain.

You may even experience problems with your memory. You may tend to forget more and more things, and this is definitely a sign that you could be experiencing hypothyroidism. These symptoms are something that should be checked out by your local doctor.

Another condition of the thyroid is hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid. This is where your thyroid produces too much hormones, which you will need treatment to slow the hormone production. Some of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism are:

Poor sleep and muscle weakness are two early warning signs and symptoms of an overactive thyroid. These also can be confused with many other problems because they are quite common.

Feeling nervous, irritable, or even shaky are also common signs of an overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism. Since your thyroid is producing too much of it’s hormone you body will start to shake.

Diarrhea and increase heart rate are more serious signs of an overactive thyroid. If you are experiencing any combination of these symptoms, it may be time to head to your doctor to have some tests run.

With each of these conditions, your doctor may run some tests to diagnose the problem and start you on a treatment. Most will begin with medication, as well as run follow-up blood work to make sure the medication is working for you. Both can be easily managed and you can back to your normal life.

Link between thyroid and obesity

Doctors have made a connection between problems with a thyroid problem and obesity. If you have a problem with your thyroid, it could be preventing you from your weight loss goals. Your thyroid produces a hormone that helps promote energy and your metabolism. If you have a thyroid problem, your body may be preventing you the energy you need to shed the pounds.

Other influences such as diet, stress and your lifestyle also have effects and roles in the function interfering with this hormone. Considering that so many of us have busy lifestyles and stress in our life, it isn’t really a surprise that many have thyroid problems. Some people don’t even realize that they have these problems.

Your obesity may be caused by a thyroid problem. Your thyroid cannot produce enough metabolism to keep you moving and get to your weight loss goals. You will not have enough energy to get to your exercise plan like you would want to. If you have been trying to lose weight unsuccessful for some time, it may be due to a thyroid problem.

Thyroid problems can be hard to detect because the symptoms can easily be confused with other common problems. Some of the common symptoms are tingling or numbness in your hands, increased sensitivity to cold temperatures and even tenderness in your front neck area. If you have a major increase or decrease in weight for no explained reasons, this could be another indication of a thyroid problem.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, or are unsuccessful in your weight loss and are obese, you may want to talk to your doctor to see if you need to be tested for a thyroid disease. There are a couple of really simple tests that can be done to see if you have a problem with your thyroid.

The first test that they are most likely going to do is a simple blood test. This will get your thyroid in speed drive, to see if it is producing little or too much of its hormone. It is a simple procedure and is typically the first step to seeing if there is a problem with your thyroid.

They may also do a thyroid scan or ultrasound to see the problem. If there is any thyroid problem, you will probably be started on medication. It can be a simple and manageable problem if detected early enough, and taking care of the problem will help you be able to manage your weight loss goals.


Photo: Michelle Meiklejohn

Thyroid Disease Symptoms

There are two different types of a thyroid disease. One will produce too much hormones, and the other will produces too little. It can easily be mixed up with several other things, you will want to look at the symptoms closely and talk to your doctor. It can be hard to detect early on because the symptoms can be so common.

One of the first symptoms that you may notice is the feeling of exhaustion. Doing some of the littlest tasks will wear you out. This will happen in the earlier stages of hypothyroidism. But, this symptom is so common that it can be easily mistaken for something else.

Another symptom of a thyroid disease is no or poor tolerance to cold temperatures. If you notice that cold temperatures bother you a lot more than normal, it could be one of the symptoms of a thyroid disease. You will also notice this symptom earlier on, and could be your first indication of a thyroid disease.

There are a couple more symptoms that you will notice in the early stages of hypothyroidism. You may notice some constipation, or even carpal tunnel which effects your wrists and your joints. While all four of these symptoms are very typical symptoms of a lot of diseases, combined together could be a sign of a thyroid disease.

Some of the later symptoms can be a little more serious and noticeable. You may have a poor appetite, or even a notice a little weight gain. Just because you may not feel hungry does not mean you have a thyroid disease, it should be accompanied by other symptoms.

When you have a thyroid disease you may experience some subtle dry skin and hair loss. These with a combination of some of the other symptoms could be a sign of a thyroid disease, and if you are concerned about them you should make an appointment and discuss them with your doctor.

Some of the more serious symptoms of a thyroid disease would be depression, a deep or hoarse voice, irregular menstrual periods or even puffiness around your eyes. If you are experiencing any of these problems in combination with any others you should probably make an appointment with you doctor so that you may be evaluated for a thyroid disease.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is best to see your doctor right away so that they may run some tests to see if you have a thyroid problem. If so, they will be able to put you on some medication to help it. There are many people who suffer through thyroid problems, and you are not alone.