According to statistics, endocrine pathologies are gaining momentum, and in recent years, newly diagnosed diseases have been recorded in 52% of women and 17% of men. The main purpose of the thyroid gland is to maintain normal processes in the cells of the body. The hormones that it produces take part in all processes.
As can be seen from the statistics, thyroid diseases in women are more common. Symptoms of the disease are as numerous as the conditions that lead to its development. Most diseases of the endocrine system share a common cause.
Causes of the disease
- Deficiency or excess (to a lesser extent) of iodine in the body.
- Adverse environmental factors - exposure to toxins and radiation.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Possible deleterious effects of antibodies on the thyroid gland.
- Autoimmune processes (an immune factor that provokes tissue damage).
- Disorders (dysfunction) of the endocrine and nervous system.
- Disorders caused by medication or surgery.
Quite often, in women with thyroid disease, the symptoms at the first stage of the disease go unnoticed due to similarity with other, less dangerous ailments. And the fact that the body has undergone a process of hormonal imbalance, a person already knows by obvious (visible) signs when the disease began to progress.
Symptoms of the disease
The main, initial symptoms include:
- Dyspnea.
- Hoarseness, sore throat and coughing.
- Frequent colds and fluctuating (irregular) temperatures.
- Discomfort when wearing "neck" clothing.
- Irritability and nervousness.
- Sweating at any temperature.
- Violations of the rhythm of the heartbeat (bradycardia or rapid pulse).
- Respiratory problems.
- Difficulty swallowing, feeling of lump in throat.
- Enlarged lymph nodes.
- Weight jumps (typical for women).
Dysfunction
Ignoring the initial symptoms is fraught with consequences, since during this time thyroid gland dysfunction in women may develop. This is due to a violation of the regulation of physical processes in the cells of the body when hormones do not cope with their task (regulation).
Due to an endocrine disruption in the gland, it produces either too much hormone or insufficient. The cause may be the pathology of the pituitary gland - the endocrine gland located in the brain. With a thyroid disease in women, the symptoms of its dysfunction are very characteristic:
- bulging eyes;
- anxiety and weight loss;
- sweating and heat intolerance.
All these symptoms are caused by excessive endocrine activity with the production of excess hormones, which is typical for the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is characterized by a lack of endocrine activity, as a result of which hormone production is insufficient. This leads to:
- to fatigue;
- weight gain;
- brittle nails and hair loss;
- depression and cold intolerance;
- decreased sex drive.
Endocrine dysfunction is mainly prone to middle-aged women.
Hypoplasia
Diseases of the thyroid gland in women, the symptoms of which are described above, as well as a lack of iodine in the body, can cause thyroid hypoplasia in the fetus.
If a child has observed:
- physiological jaundice after birth;
- if the child is weak, lethargy and poor appetite are present;
- characterized by constipation and a hoarse voice;
- developmental delay, speech defects, and explicit "cretinism."
This indicates the consequences of a congenital disease - hypoplasia. Underdeveloped gland tissues do not cope with their vital function. Thyroid hypoplasia (in women and men) is characterized by the presence of hyperthyroidism, when the function of the gland is significantly reduced.