Physicians predict that hyperthyroidism will be the illness of the future. The main problem is junk food that is rich with salt
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When thyroid gland produces too much of thyroxin hormone then we are talking about hyperthyroidism. This is illness that appears between 30 to 50 years of age and attacks women more often than men. Physicians still don't know why women are more often under attack of that illness. Generally speaking, physicians predict that hyperthyroidism will be the illness of the future.
Our body is a perfect machine, but sometimes its work doesn’t fit us perfectly. For good functioning of thyroid gland your body needs iodine. When you consume salted food (less than 150-200 milligrams of salt) you can be sure that you do well for your thyroid gland. But your body don't know that you don't need all the salt you consume in the food or water.
So, if you take too much salt, your body will deposit all salt you eat and drink and after some time problems with thyroid gland can appear. That is not the problem if you eat healthy food like cabbage, spinach, corn, and potato. All that ingredients are rich with iodine. The main problem is junk food that is rich with salt.
Patients that have symptoms of hyperthyroidism usually suffer of nervousness, distraction, emotional instability, troubles with sleeping, sudden weight loss (even when their appetite is normal), to much sweating, shivering, frequent stools, increased sensitivity to heat, irregular or fast heart beating (more than 100 beats in minute) even when the patient is at rest. Number of heartbeats rises when a patient is under stress. In patients with too much thyroxin hormone blood pressure can be high. Irregularity with heart beating can appear gradually. Metabolism is accelerated which explains frequent stools. Muscles in upper parts of arms and legs are weak and it is difficult for a patient to walk up the stairs or up the hill. Women can have problems with menstrual cycle.
Very dangerous situation is when patient feels troubles when breathing. Older people can suffer of aggravation of angina pectoris and/or heart failure. Skin of patients with hyperthyroidism is warm, wet, soft and velvet. Sometimes the palm is reddish and vitiligo can appear. Eyes are "bigger", because tissue and muscles behind eyes swell; hear is thin, silk, rare and frequently falls; fingernails are fragile, easy to broke and separated from fingertip.
In patients with hyperthyroidism fine fingers tremor and reinforced reflexes can be seen. Hyperthyroidism can be treated with medicaments, surgically or with radioactive iodine. Hyperthyroidism can cause serious heart problems, brittle bones, problems with eyes; thyrotoxic crisis and it can even be fatal if it is not treated. However, it if is diagnosed, most people respond well to treatment.
When thyroid gland doesn't produce enough hormones than we are talking about hypothyroidism. Generally we can describe hypothyroidism as slowing down of physical and mental functions. General symptoms are tiredness, tardiness, slow movements, slow speaking, increase of body weight, low resistance to coldness, somnolence, apathy, unstable emotions, forgetfulness, lack of focus, depression and lack of appetite.
Ironically, hypothyroidism can be result of the therapy of hyperthyroidism. It can also appear after therapy with radioactive iodine or if too much of thyroid gland is removed. The sickness can also be result of abnormal processes in hypothalamus and pituitary gland.
Simple blood test, in a person without symptoms, may raise suspicion of hypothyroidism if the person has higher level of fat in blood. It is important to diagnose hypothyroidism because it may be the case of temporary disorder or it may indicate a more serious condition.
Hypothyroidism could be a temporary disorder that can be solved by a short therapy or no therapy at all (that could be the case after child birth). It can be caused by drugs such as lithium or by drugs that contain iodine - after patient stops to take drugs hypothyroidism will disappear. Hypothyroidism may also be the first or the only sign of illness in hypothalamus and pituitary gland. ■