Thyroid gland: diseases, features

Hormones are one of the main components that can never be separated to support all functions in the body. Apart from the brain, one of the other hormone production sites is the thyroid gland, which is located in the neck. The thyroid gland produces hormones that are useful for all processes in the body. In order to understand better, dive deeper into this important gland, let's!

What is the thyroid gland?

The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck, just below the Adam's apple and above the breastbone. The thyroid gland is responsible for producing hormones. Through the hormones it produces, the thyroid gland is useful for almost all metabolic processes in the body.

In addition, the thyroid gland also regulates energy in the body, body temperature, and the growth of body tissues. The hormones produced by the thyroid gland also affect the work of other organs such as the heart, digestion, muscles and the nervous system.

Problems with the thyroid gland result in disease

Just like various other organs in the body, the work of the thyroid gland can be disturbed, causing problems. This disorder occurs when there is an imbalance of thyroid hormones in your body, which then causes thyroid disease.

Thyroid disease occurs when there is a disruption in the thyroid gland in the neck when it produces hormones. Yes, sometimes the hormone production produced by this one gland can become underactive (hypothyroid) so that it is not enough to produce hormones. Or vice versa, this gland can be too active (hyperthyroid) so that it produces too much hormone.

As a result, if this condition is not treated properly, it can certainly cause swelling of the thyroid gland in the neck. Although it can be experienced by anyone, this disease that attacks the thyroid gland is more common among women than men.

The effects of thyroid disease can make you feel uncomfortable. It's just that most of the conditions due to thyroid gland disorders can be treated properly if diagnosed and treated properly.

Causes of thyroid disease

Thyroid disease is generally caused by the inadequate production of hormones produced by these glands to perform their function.

When the thyroid gland in your neck doesn't produce enough hormones, the balance of chemical reactions in your body can be disturbed. There are several underlying causes, including autoimmune diseases, medications for hyperthyroidism, radiation therapy, thyroid surgery and certain medications.

The hormones produced by the thyroid gland are triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). These two hormones have a huge impact on health and affect all aspects of your metabolism.

The hormones produced by the thyroid gland in the neck are also responsible for regulating the use of fats and carbohydrates in the body, help control your body temperature, affect your heart rate, and help regulate protein production.

Thyroid disease can also be caused by infections, such as viruses or bacteria, which work in the same way as antibodies. As a result, this viral or bacterial infection will cause the thyroid gland to become inflamed.

On the other hand, drugs such as interferon and amiodarone are also known to cause damage to the thyroid cells leading to thyroid disease.

In addition, the thyroid gland that is overproducing or overactive hormones (hyperthyroidism) is commonly caused by Graves' disease, toxic multinodular goiter, toxic adenoma, and various other diseases.

What are the symptoms of thyroid disease?

There are various symptoms of thyroid disease depending on the initial cause, namely:

Hyperthyroidism

Symptoms of thyroid gland disease due to hyperthyroidism are divided into two, namely general symptoms and symptoms specific to the organs in which this hormone works.

Common symptoms of hyperthyroidism are insufficient resistance to hot air, fatigue, enlarged neck, weight loss, frequent hunger, frequent bowel movements.

Meanwhile, specific symptoms of hyperthyroidism include:

• Digestive system: a lot of food, thirst, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, enlarged lymph nodes.
• Reproductive system: menstrual cycle disorders, decreased libido, infertility, gynecomastia in men.
• Skin: excessive sweating, wet skin, hair loss.
• Psychic and nervous: unstable, irritable, difficulty sleeping, trembling hands.
• Heart: heart palpitations, heart rhythm disorders, hypertension, heart failure.
• Muscle and bone system: fatigue, bone pain, osteoporosis.

In hyperthyroidism caused by Graves' disease, other symptoms are usually found, such as swelling in the shins of the feet, protruding eyeballs, decreased vision, double vision and lesions in the cornea of ​​the eye.

Hypothyroidism

The symptoms of hypothyroid disease can vary depending on the severity. However, in general, symptoms of hypothyroidism tend to develop slowly, often over several years.

At first you may not notice the symptoms of hypothyroidism, such as fatigue and weight gain. However, the longer this condition will make your metabolic processes continue to slow down. When this happens, you will experience more pronounced symptoms.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism may include fatigue, more sensitivity to cold air, constipation, dry skin, swollen face, hoarseness, muscle weakness, increased cholesterol levels, muscle pain, stiffness, swollen or stiff joints, irregular menstrual periods and heavier feeling, hair. thinning, slowed heart rate, depression, or memory problems.

If hypothyroidism is not treated, your signs and symptoms will get worse. Stimulation of the thyroid gland to release more hormones can cause the thyroid gland to swell (goiter).

In addition, you will also become forgetful, slow in thinking, or feel stressed.

Sustained hypothyroidism, otherwise known as myxedema, is rare, but when it occurs it can be life-threatening. Symptoms include low blood pressure, decreased breathing, drop in body temperature, slow response and even coma. In extreme cases, myxedema can be fatal.

Swelling of the thyroid gland

Swelling of the thyroid gland in the neck, known as goiter, is usually painless. Other symptoms of goiter depend on the thyroid disease that is causing it. Whether it's hypothyroid or hyperthyroid.

The characteristics of an enlarged thyroid gland due to hypothyroidism include:

• Limp
• Weight gain with decreased appetite
• Can not stand the cold
• Dry skin and hair loss
• Often feel sleepy
• Constipation (difficulty defecating)
• Emotions are unstable and often forget
• Decreased visual function
• Hearing function decreased

Meanwhile, the characteristics of an enlarged thyroid gland due to hyperthyroidism include:

• Weight loss
• Not heat resistant
• Anxious feelings
• Often feel nervous
• Tremor (involuntary vibration of limbs, usually most clearly seen in the hands)
• Hyperactive

In a goiter, to find out if a hypothyroid or hyperthyroid condition is found, further tests are needed to check the levels of hormones produced by the thyroid gland in the neck. Goiter requires medical treatment, from taking thyroid gland medication to surgery. Goiter does not go away on its own.

Different swelling of the thyroid gland and lymph nodes

Lumps in the neck are usually caused by swelling of the thyroid glands in the neck and lymph nodes. However, how to differentiate between the two swellings?

Swelling of the thyroid gland

Swelling of the thyroid gland is a lump that is usually solid or filled with fluid. Generally, thyroid gland lumps in the neck are caused by several factors, namely:

• Iodine deficiency
• Overgrowth of thyroid tissue
• Thyroid cyst
• Thyroid cancer
• Chronic inflammation of the thyroid (thyroiditis)

The lump that results from an enlarged thyroid gland is usually located in the middle of the neck, like an Adam's apple in men. Generally, they are small and do not feel to the touch because they are located in the thyroid tissue or are located very deep in the gland.

The characteristic feature of a thyroid gland lump is that it moves along with the swallowing process. This is because the glands attach to cartilage which functions to swallow. The movement of the lump is generally from the bottom up.

Swollen lymph nodes

Lymph nodes are part of the immune system that help the body fight foreign objects. The entry of foreign objects has the risk of disturbing the health of the body, such as viruses or bacteria. In addition, lymph nodes also provide white blood cells to fight these viruses or bacteria.

Lumps in the neck due to lymph nodes usually occur due to certain bacterial or viral infections. Usually the swelling occurs near the infected part of the body. For example, swelling that occurs in the neck is usually caused by a throat infection.

In addition, swelling in the lymph nodes can also be caused by autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer.

Other conditions that can also cause swollen lymph nodes are injury, or the use of certain drugs such as dilantin (a malaria prevention drug).

Apart from the neck, swollen lymph nodes can also appear in the groin, armpits, under the jaw, and behind the ears.

Lumps caused by swollen lymph nodes are usually located on the right or left side of the neck. Usually the size of a pea or kidney bean, even larger. Generally, this lump is quite visible from the outside and feels when touched.

In addition, other symptoms that may occur are runny nose, sore throat, earache, fever, and fatigue.

Lymph node lumps in the neck arise due to certain conditions such as:

• Sore throat
• Measles
• Ear infection
• Tooth infection
• Tuberculosis
• Syphilis
• Toxoplasma
• Lymphoma (lymph cancer)

Immediately consult a doctor if you also experience the following symptoms:

• The lump does not go away even after weeks
• Difficulty breathing
• Night sweats
• Weight loss
• Weakness or loss of feeling around the swelling
• Treatment options for thyroid disease

Treatment for thyroid gland disease

The following are various treatment options for treating thyroid gland disease:

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a lifelong condition. For many people, thyroid gland medications can help reduce or relieve symptoms.

Hypothyroidism can be treated using levothyroxine (Levothroid, Levoxyl). It is a synthetic thyroid gland medication from the T4 hormone which mimics the work of the thyroid hormones normally produced by your body.

This medication is designed to restore balanced thyroid hormone levels to your blood. Once hormone levels have normalized, hypothyroid symptoms tend to go away or at least become much more manageable.

After you start treatment, it can take several weeks before you start feeling relief. You will need further blood tests to monitor your progress. You and your doctor will work together to find the dosage and treatment plan that best addresses your symptoms.

In most cases, people with hypothyroidism will have to stay on this medication for the rest of their life. However, you will not continue to use the same dosage. To make sure your thyroid gland medication is still working properly, your doctor should test your TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) levels annually.

If blood levels show a medication isn't working properly, your doctor will adjust the dosage until your hormonal balance is reached.

Side effects from this treatment are rare. However, if you use too much thyroid hormone, you may experience dizziness, heart palpitations, and difficulty sleeping.

Pregnant women may need to increase their thyroid replacement by up to 50 percent. It takes approximately 4 to 6 weeks for the effects of the initial dose or change in dose to be seen in laboratory tests.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism can be treated with iodine (radioactive iodine), anti-thyroid drugs or surgery (thyroidectomy). Also, by making dietary changes.

Radioactive iodine

This medication can destroy part of the thyroid gland and control symptoms of hyperthyroidism. The level of radioactive iodine used in this medication is low enough, so you don't have to worry about damaging your entire body.

The advantages of this treatment are fast and easy to administer and a low recurrence rate. The drawback is that up to 50 percent of hyperthyroid recurrences can occur after therapy.

This treatment is not recommended for pregnant women, or those planning a pregnancy in the next 6 months. Because it can damage the development of the fetal thyroid gland.

In addition, patients can use anti-thyroid drugs to control hyperthyroidism within 6 weeks to 3 months.

Anti-thyroid drugs

The thyroid gland medication for controlling hyperthyroidism is thyrostatics. This antithyroid drug works to inhibit thyroid hormone synthesis and suppress autoimmune effects.

The administration of this drug is initially in the largest dose or as clinically appropriate, then reduced to the lowest dose at which thyroid hormone is still within normal limits.

The side effects of this drug are rash on the skin, itching, allergies, muscle aches and joint pain.

Examples of anti-thyroid drugs include propyltiouracil (PTU), metimazole, carbimazole.

Thyroid surgery (thyroidectomy)

Thyroid surgery can be done in whole or in part. Thyroid surgery is needed if you experience any of the following:

• Severe hyperthyroidism in children.
• Does not get better with radioactive iodine, anti-thyroid drugs or other thyroid gland medications, and other treatments.
• Swelling of the thyroid gland causes severe swelling of the eyes.
• The swelling causes breathing problems or difficulty swallowing.
• Requires a fast recovery such as pregnant women, mothers planning a pregnancy in 6 months or people with unstable heart disease.

Other thyroid gland medications that are given for hyperthyroidism are beta-blockers. This drug works to reduce symptoms of hyperthyroidism such as palpitations, shaking hands and others. Examples of these drugs are propranolol and metoprolol.

Diet for hyperthyroidism

People who have several characteristics of the thyroid gland who experience swelling due to hyperthyroidism can be treated with a healthy diet.

A healthy diet for hyperthyroidism involves eating foods high in calcium (broccoli, almonds, fish, okra); foods high in vitamin D (sardines, cod liver oil, salmon, tuna, and mushrooms); foods high in magnesium (dark chocolate, almonds, cashews, whole grains); and foods containing selenium (mushrooms, brown rice, kuaci, sardines).

Hyperthyroidism makes it difficult for calcium to be absorbed in the body. If there is no calcium, bones become prone to brittle and at risk of osteoporosis can lead to brittle bones and osteoporosis.

Vitamin D can help the body absorb calcium from food more easily. You can also get vitamin D intake for the body by sunbathing in the morning. Because most of the vitamin D is made in the skin through absorption of sunlight.