Common symptoms of thyroid disease

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with General Internal Medicine Doctor - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.
The thyroid gland is one of the important endocrine glands in the regulation of growth and development. When thyroid function is disturbed, it can cause thyroid diseases such as: thyroid cancer, thyroid enlargement, thyroiditis....

1. Thyroid disorders

The thyroid gland is an endocrine gland in the shape of a horseshoe, located in front of the neck and secretes hormones to regulate the development of organs in the body, and at the same time promote the activity and maturation of all cells.
All activities of the thyroid gland are regulated by the pituitary gland. When the level of T4 in the blood decreases, it will stimulate the pituitary gland to secrete more TSH to promote the thyroid gland to secrete the necessary amount of T4 hormone and vice versa. When the body has neurological and humoral disorders, it will lead to thyroid diseases.
Thyroid disease that has the potential to cause hypothyroidism (decreased ability to produce hormones) or hyperthyroidism (the body produces too much hormone) or some other condition of the thyroid gland including an enlarged thyroid gland , thyroid cancer, thyroid tumor or thyroiditis....

2. Warning signs of thyroid disease

According to statistics from the American Thyroid Association, more than 12% of the population has thyroid disease in this country. In the early stages, the disease often has vague signs, so it is easy to confuse it with other diseases and is only detected when the disease is already in a severe stage. Although not life-threatening, it can cause problems that affect the patient's quality of life. Some common warning signs of thyroid disease include:
Sleep disturbances and fatigue Fatigue can be the first sign when the body has thyroid dysfunction, if you always feel sleepy Or suddenly sleep more than usual and still feel exhausted, tired.

Weight change When you have thyroid disease, the body will retain water and cause the body to gain weight uncontrollably. However, there are also cases where the patient loses weight despite eating and living as usual.
Mood changes If you often have depressed, sad thoughts, your body may have too little thyroid hormone and affect serotonin levels in the brain. Thyroid disease can also cause the patient to lack concentration or memory loss, worry or panic excessively...If these signs appear, think of hyperthyroidism, too much thyroid hormone causes difficulty. concentrate.
Occurrence of intestinal problems Thyroid hormones have certain effects on the digestive system, so when they have problems, the patient will have digestive problems such as constipation or diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (when you have hyperthyroidism).
Muscle pain Muscle pain, stiffness, especially in the shoulder and thigh positions, is a sign of thyroid disease. In case of hypothyroidism, the patient will suddenly feel numbness, tingling or pain in the limbs ... This sign is easy to confuse with arthritis.
Decreased sex drive Patients suffering from hypothyroidism for a long time will cause hormonal imbalance and reduce libido, severe can cause infertility, especially in women. In fact, both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can interfere with ovulation and impair a woman's sex drive.
Changes in skin and hair When the body has thyroid dysfunction and too little or too much thyroid hormone will make the hair dry, fibrous, prone to breakage and even hair loss in many other parts of the body. body. In particular, the nail layer and skin will also be affected when the body has thyroid disease.
Changes in cholesterol Hypothyroidism often has high blood cholesterol levels and does not respond to treatment with methods such as dietary changes, exercise, or medication. Hyperthyroidism can also cause the patient to have abnormally low cholesterol levels.
Blood pressure The patient may have hypothyroidism.
Changes in heart rate Thyroid hormone, when acting on the cardiovascular system, will cause the heart rate to change, hypothyroidism will make the heart rate slower than normal, and hyperthyroidism will make the heart beat faster. palpitations.
Goiter This is a warning sign of thyroid disease that the doctor can evaluate on the clinical picture. Especially when the patient feels discomfort in the neck, the voice is more hoarse.

3. Prevention of thyroid diseases

One of the prerequisites in the prevention and treatment of thyroid disease is regulating the immune system, building a scientific and reasonable diet menu and properly supplementing with iodine.
In addition, creating a habit of exercising regularly every day, giving up smoking and having regular health checkups are also very effective ways to prevent thyroid disease.
Currently, at the Department of General Internal Medicine - Vinmec International General Hospital, there is a specialty in Endocrinology - Diabetes. Department of examination and treatment of endocrine diseases such as pituitary, thyroid, adrenal and diabetes diseases.
Specializes in applying new techniques in disease treatment such as: Treating benign thyroid nodules with high-frequency ablation (avoiding thyroidectomy for BMN); Research and application of stem cell technology in the treatment of diabetes...
In-depth specialties of internal medicine department have affirmed their prestige when they have spacious facilities and standard clinics. 5 star hospital; modern equipment with biochemistry machines meeting ISO standards,... the most modern X-ray, ultrasound, CT scanner, MRI machines; 5-star inpatient treatment area, along with a team of specialists with many years of experience.

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