Often patients who have no perceptible thyroid problems are diagnosed with euthyroidism. What does this mean? Is euthyroidism considered a disease? What affects its appearance and how to get rid of it?
What is the diagnosis of euthyroidism?
Answering the question of euthyroidism - what is it, it is more correct to say that this is the state of the thyroid gland, preceding its disease or bordering between the disease and health.
With euthyroidism, all
thyroid hormones are normal, and the patient does not experience almost any problems, but pathological changes were found in his thyroid gland using ultrasound or other examinations. "Hormones are normal" means that the thyroid gland works, in principle, as expected. However, a person diagnosed with “euthyroidism of the thyroid gland” should not relax, because this piece of iron, small in comparison with the size of the human body, is not without reason called a masked worker. Often, she does not show the changes that have begun in her until they develop into a serious illness. So, against the background of euthyroidism, the development of a syndrome of euthyroid pathology,
autoimmune thyroiditis, goiter and even thyroid cancer is possible. Vivid symptoms of these diseases will appear only when the body can no longer produce the right amount of hormones.
Causes of Euthyroidism
Any problems with the thyroid gland are caused primarily by a lack of iodine in the body. This element is involved in the production of thyroid hormones. At its slightest imperfections, the thyroid gland begins to increase in order to “take” as much iodine as possible. Its overabundance is also undesirable, because in this case the production of hormones is blocked, and the thyroid gland decreases in size. Unfavorable living and working conditions of a person of no less abnormal consumption of iodine affect the occurrence of euthyroidism. What does it mean - adverse conditions? These are stresses, lack of sleep, a state of constant tension of the nervous system. Failures in the thyroid gland are also caused by a high radiation background, a large amount of ultraviolet radiation (constant prolonged exposure to the sun), and the intake of cobalt, strontium, mercury, lead, arsenic, which is associated with the peculiarities of human working conditions. Euthyroidism can also occur against infectious diseases, thyroid injuries, surgical interventions, and as a side effect when taking certain medications.
Symptomatology
Often people are surprised by the diagnosis of euthyroidism. That they have this disease, only ultrasound and some additional studies show. However, there are a number of symptoms that are an indicator that the thyroid is not all right, even if the analysis for hormones is normal.
These symptoms include:
- excessive, sometimes baseless nervousness;
- fast fatiguability;
- slight swelling in the neck;
- sometimes it is difficult to swallow, a lump is felt in the throat;
- upon palpation, the doctor can detect small nodular formations in the neck area; basically they are painless, and only occasionally patients complain of discomfort, for example, when squeezing the neck with a collar of clothing.
Nodular goiter - a form of euthyroidism
According to medical statistics, in 4% of the population, examination by an endocrinologist in the neck area reveals small (1-1.5 cm) nodules.
They can be located one at a time (solitary) or in groups. Most often, the patient pays attention to these formations when they become visually visible or when pain begins to be felt when swallowing. This condition is called
nodular goiter. Thyroid euthyroidism is the main background of its manifestation, since thyroid
hormones T3, T4, TSH are almost always within acceptable values. If this pathology is detected, the doctor must prescribe additional examinations to the patient, including ultrasound, radioisotope analysis for thyroid hormones. In some cases, especially with a single node, a puncture biopsy and
cytological examination of the sample are performed. If the nodular goiter increases too quickly or the patient consulted a doctor when the tumor reached a significant size, the doctor may prescribe an x-ray of the chest area with the introduction of barium into the esophagus for a contrast assessment of the result.
Treatment
With a diagnosis of euthyroidism, treatment is required only in cases where thyroid disease is progressing. If her condition is stable, measures are limited to more frequent supervision by a doctor. The patient is recommended a gentle regime of the day, a balanced diet. If necessary, conservative treatment with iodine preparations or Levothyroxine may be prescribed. If the thyroid gland is too large, surgery is possible. Also, an operation is performed if several nodules are found on the neck, the dimensions of which are more than 1 centimeter.