Thyroid or Parathyroid

What is Thyroid

It is a medical condition that affects the functions of the thyroid glands. The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormones and helps in regulating a person’s metabolism. The thyroid is part of the endocrine system that controls many functions of your body.  It is situated in the front of the neck below Adam’s apple.

Thyroid diseases occur when the thyroid produces fewer hormones or hormones in excess.

There are two main types of thyroid diseases:

1. Hyperthyroidism- it occurs when the thyroid produces extra or too many hormones.
2. Hypothyroidism- it occurs when the thyroid produces fewer or too few hormones.

Some other types of thyroid diseases are thyroid nodules, grave’s disease, goiter, and Hashimoto’s disease. If you are a thyroid patient thyroid exercise in yoga will be very beneficial for you.

Causes and Symptoms of Thyroid

Causes:

There are many factors that develop thyroid disease. The causes of thyroid disease differ in each type of thyroid disease. Some common causes of thyroid disease are:

Causes of Hyperthyroidism

1. Grave’s Disease: An autoimmune disorder that causes the thyroid gland to overproduce lots of hormones. It is considered the most regular cause of hypertension.
2. Plummer’s disease- this disease causes the thyroid to expand in size and secrete too many hormones.
3. Thyroiditis – In this disease, the thyroid becomes inflamed due to autoimmune conditions, this inflammation can cause the excess thyroid hormone to leak in into the bloodstream.
4. Nodular thyroid disease- in this disease lumps develop in the thyroid gland and they affect the function of the thyroid by making it overactive.
5. Excessive iodine intake- eating excessive iodine in food can affect the thyroid gland by making it produce too many hormones.
6. Medications- medicines prescribed for heart problems contain a large amount of iodine which can cause the dysfunction of the thyroid.
7. Tumours in ovaries and testes
8. Follicular thyroid cancer- it can cause the thyroid to become more active which results in the secretion of too much of hormones.

Symptoms:

A person suffering from stress shows many signs and symptoms which can help in identifying the medical condition and in starting the treatment. Symptoms could range from emotional, physical or behavior-related issues. Some common symptoms of stress are:

1. Pain and fatigue for a longer period of time.
2. Low sex drive and lack of interest in sex.
3. Sleep problems
4. Digestion and appetite-related problems
5. Lack of concentration and decision making.
6. A headache, low blood pressure.
7. Anger issues
8. Anxiety, feelings of  fear, overwhelm, memory problems, irritability depression
9. Social withdrawal, substance abuse.

Preventions for Thyroid:

There are many signs and symptoms present in the patient affected by thyroid disease, and identifying these symptoms early can help a lot in the treatment of the disease. The severity of thyroid disease symptoms differs in each case and could take years in some cases to be noticed easily.  Some common signs and symptoms of thyroid disease are:

1. Weight loss( even when your diet is the same)
2. Unexpected Weight gain
3. Sweating
4. Changes in the menstrual cycle
5. Brittle hair
6. An enlarged thyroid gland (goitre) can be identified by swelling at the base of your neck.
7. Sensitivity to heat
8. Mood swings
9. Uncontrolled bowel movements
10. Diarrhoea
11. Muscle weakness
12. Infertility and loss of interest in sex
13. Constipation
14. Increased appetite
15. Nervousness
16. Restlessness
17. Lack of concentration
18. Fatigue and Weakness
19. Problem in sleeping
20. Irregular heartbeat
21. Itching
22. Hair loss
23. Nausea
24. Vomiting
25. Development of breasts in men
26. Dizziness
27. Breathing problem
28. unconsciousness
29. Loss of interest in sex and infertility
30. Memory loss

Risk factors of hyperthyroidism:

• Family history
• Gender- females are more prone to this disease.
• People with certain diseases such as type 1 diabetes, pernicious anaemia, and primary adrenal insufficiency.

• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis-  This is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, it is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid’s ability to produce hormones.
• A side-effect of hyperthyroidism treatment – the treatment of hyperthyroidism focuses on reducing the amount of overproduced hormones but in some cases, the level of hormones could go down to the level that could result in hypothyroidism.
• Radiation therapy- radiations used in the treatment of cancer can affect the thyroid glands.
• Thyroid surgery- some thyroid surgeries can make the functions of the thyroid complicated.
• Medications- medicines for many treatments can affect the functioning of thyroid glands.
• Congenital hypothyroidism-  in this disease the thyroid glands don’t function properly from birth and create growth problems in newborns.
• Thyroiditis-This is an inflammatory disease that can develop into hypothyroidism.
• Abnormality of pituitary glands- functions of thyroid glands get affected by the abnormal functions of pituitary glands.
• Imbalance of iodine- an imbalance of iodine can lead to thyroid problems.
• Pregnancy-  in some rare cases pregnancy can cause hypothyroidism and it may result in other complications such as miscarriages.

Risk factors of hyperthyroidism:

• Gender- females are more prone to this disease.
• Age- people above 60 are more likely to develop this thyroid disease.
• Family history
• Presence of an  autoimmune disease
• Exposure to radioactive treatments

Preventions for Thyroid and Parathyroid:

• Keep a check on your diet and ensure that it comprises all minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients in an optimum amount. 
• Irrespective of your lifestyle, get in the habit of exercising regularly. Lack of exercise is a shortcut to countless health problems including thyroid. 
• Stay hydrated as a lack of water in your body can lead to the accumulation of toxins and disturb the natural flow of energy causing serious hormonal imbalances like thyroid and parathyroid. 
• If you have been diagnosed with thyroid, it is better to get rid of addictions like smoking and excess alcohol intake.