Thyroid dysfunction is a pathology that can occur in any person, regardless of age group or gender. The disease appears as a result of exposure to various factors. It is far from always possible to explain its cause and to recognize the initial signs. This article deals with the types of thyroid pathologies, their symptoms, diagnosis and therapy.
Prevalence of the disease
The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system. The task of the body is the production of hormones necessary to maintain a normal human condition.
The well-being of an individual, his intellectual abilities, emotional background, and reproductive health depend on how well thyroid works. Thyroid dysfunction - a term denoting any form of violation of its activity. A similar condition is characterized by pathological changes in the body, the appearance of the patient. It can provoke severe complications.
According to statistics, the disease is more common among the weaker sex. This fact is explained by the fact that in women the hormonal system undergoes significant changes throughout life. Puberty, the period of gestation, breastfeeding, menopause - all these phenomena can provoke thyroid disease.
In addition, thyroid dysfunction is often diagnosed in individuals who do not get enough iodine from food. Those who are exposed to harmful radiation as a result of professional activity or therapy are also prone to the development of the disease. Poor heredity also plays an important role in the formation of pathological processes in the thyroid gland.
The main symptoms of an organ malfunction
As you know, early diagnosis of diseases facilitates the treatment process and gives a person a chance to quickly get rid of malaise. Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to recognize thyroid ailments at the initial stage. Therefore, some patients seek medical help even with advanced stages of pathology. However, there are several signs of thyroid dysfunction, having found that you should be examined as soon as possible. Such manifestations include:
- Nervousness and increased anxiety. This symptom often occurs with increased production of hormones.
- Excessive fatigue, decreased ability to work.
- Deterioration of memory, attention.
- Lethargy in the morning and difficulty falling asleep in the evening.
- Weight fluctuations. With thyroid dysfunction, symptoms associated with body weight and metabolic processes are quite common. The patient may notice that he has lost a lot of weight, although he continues to adhere to his usual diet. Weight reduction indicates an increased production of thyroid hormones. With a lack of these substances in the body, a person gets better, despite the fact that he consumes a moderate amount of food.
- Discomfort in muscles and joints, not associated with physical strain, mechanical damage, or lifting of heavy objects.
- Changing the nature of critical days. With a lack of thyroid hormones, monthly bleeding becomes lingering, and premenstrual syndrome is accompanied by severe malaise. Excessive organ activity leads to short menstruation.
- Swelling of facial tissues, swelling of the extremities in the evening.
- Flatulence, delayed or upset stool.
- Sensitivity to cold or hot weather.
- Change in the appearance of the patient. Bulging eyes, brittle hair and nail plates, a pale or yellowish tint of the skin, dry epidermis are characteristic features that indicate disorders of the thyroid gland.
Manifestations of pathology in men
It should be noted that the signs of thyroid dysfunction in women and men are approximately the same. Pathologies of this organ affect people of both sexes. The main thyroid ailments that are diagnosed in men are:
- Endemic goiter.
- Hypothyroidism (decreased hormone production).
- Thyrotoxicosis (increased thyroid activity).
- Thyroiditis (an inflammatory process in the tissues of an organ that has an autoimmune nature).
- Neoplasms of a different nature (cysts, cancerous tumors).
Manifestations of thyroid dysfunction in men are usually not as pronounced as symptoms of pathologies in women. Therefore, people of the stronger sex often do not pay attention to a slight deterioration in well-being and are in no hurry to consult a doctor.
Endemic goiter
This is an ailment that is accompanied by proliferation of thyroid tissue. The organ increases in volume due to a deficiency of such an important substance as iodine. Its lack is usually associated with an improper diet. Sometimes the process of proliferation of the gland is accompanied by the formation of nodes. With this thyroid dysfunction in women and men, the following symptoms are observed:
- Feeling overwhelmed.
- Headache.
- Myocardial discomfort.
- A feeling of constriction in the neck.
- Difficulty in swallowing, respiratory dysfunction.
- Attacks of dry cough.
How is thyroid hormone deficiency manifested?
This condition is indicated by the term hypothyroidism. It develops against the background of the chronic process of inflammation in the tissues of the organ, severe pathologies such as syphilis, tuberculosis, after surgery to remove the gland.
The disease is accompanied by such symptoms:
- Increased need for sleep.
- Constant feeling of tiredness.
- Weight gain with poor appetite.
- Decrease in temperature, sensitivity to cold.
- Deteriorating ability to work.
- Dryness of the epidermis.
- Puffiness and yellowing of facial tissues.
- Discomfort in the joints and muscles.
- Slow speech.
- Discomfort in the myocardium.
- The delay of the chair.
- Depressed state, fluctuations in the emotional background.
- Enhanced hair loss, fragility of the nail plates.
In representatives of the stronger sex, such a thyroid gland dysfunction is accompanied by a violation of sexual function.
Signs of increased thyroid activity
A condition in which this body produces excessive amounts of hormones can be suspected in the presence of the following symptoms:
- Dramatic weight loss.
- The increased outflow of sweat.
- Heart rate increase.
- Bulging eyes.
- Heart rhythm malfunctions.
- Anxiety and anxiety.
- Tremor of the upper limbs.
- Increased need for food.
- Delayed or upset stool.
- Hair loss and dryness.
- Muscle weakness.
- Decreased sexual desire in men.
- Thickening of the tissues of the feet and legs (in men).
Thyroid dysfunction associated with an excess of hormones leads to fragility of bone tissue and the development of a heart attack. In men, the pathology is more severe than in women.
Neoplasms in thyroid tissue
Tumors can be benign or cancerous. One of the signs of their development is the asymmetry of the organ. If this symptom occurs, consult a specialist. With the help of ultrasound and other types of examination, the doctor will determine the nature of the neoplasm and prescribe therapy. If it is a small cyst or nodule, surgery is usually not performed. Patients with cancer pathologies require surgery, radiotherapy, and medications.
The effect of organ work on reproductive health
Specialists often encounter such a phenomenon as thyroid dysfunction in women. Symptoms often develop during the gestation period.
With such ailments, the likelihood of interruption of the pregnancy process, the occurrence of defects in the child increases. Lack of substances necessary for the normal formation of the embryo leads to the birth of infants with severe mental retardation. In subsequent years, physical development is delayed.
Signs of thyroid dysfunction in women are pathologies of the reproductive system, for example, benign neoplasms of the endometrium and ovaries, mastopathy, and menstrual cycle disorders. In girls, puberty slows down.
Diagnosis and therapy
Patients with signs of thyroid pathology are assigned the following examinations:
- A blood test to detect hormone levels.
- Ultrasound
- Inspection of the thyroid gland.
With thyroid dysfunction, treatment involves taking pills. With a lack of hormones, drugs are prescribed to increase their production, with an excess - drugs that reduce the activity of the organ. In addition, iodine and selenium supplements are recommended. Patients should eat fish, kelp dishes, seafood.