2023-11-17 12:30:10
Hyperthyroidism appears when the thyroid gland is overactive, that is, it secretes too much thyroid hormone, accelerating the metabolism. It is a common benign disease, more so in women.
A woman undergoes a thyroid x-ray at the Military Hospital in Neder Over Heembeek, Belgium. EFE/DIRK WAEM
In Europe, hyperthyroidism is found in women, in terms of prevalence, around 0.8% in its clinical forms, that is, when it gives symptoms; and in 3.2% its subclinical forms, when it does not present symptoms. In men it has a prevalence of 0.5% and 2% respectively.
The incidence or new cases in Europe is 51.04 per 100,000/year in women and 16.24 per 100,000 in men.
The symptoms
According to information from Clinical Hospital of BarcelonaThe main symptoms of hyperthyroidism are:
Greater sensitivity to heat. Irritability. Increased sweating. Palpitations. Hand trembling. Anxiety. Increased intestinal transit Difficulty sleeping. Warmer and thinner skin. Fine and fragile hair. Muscle weakness in the arms and thighs. Alteration of menstrual rhythm. Mild-moderate weight loss with maintained appetite. In the long term, untreated hyperthyroidism increases the appearance of cardiovascular diseases and loss of bone mass.
Hyperthyroidism, causes
The causes of the appearance of hyperthyroidism are:
Graves-Basedow disease (GBD)
It is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism (60-70%). It is an autoimmune disease in which antibodies are synthesized that stimulate the thyroid gland to grow and produce excess thyroid hormones.
Multinodular (multiple nodules) or nodular goiter
The thyroid has several nodules that can grow slowly and begin to synthesize thyroid hormones excessively, causing hyperthyroidism.
Pituitary tumor
It is a rare cause that occurs when the tumor produces an excess of thyrotropin (TSH), a hormone that stimulates the thyroid gland, which produces thyroid hormones in an unregulated manner. By synthesizing so many hormones, the thyroid gland becomes less sensitive and resistant to them.
Tirotoxicosis
It is a set of symptoms produced by high concentrations of circulating thyroid hormones. It may be due to taking too much thyroxine in the form of pills, inflammation and destruction of the thyroid, which involves the temporary release of hormones into the blood circulation, as in thyroiditis, or having an overactive thyroid ( hyperthyroidism).
Treatment
Hyperthyroidism, which is diagnosed through analytical and imaging tests, is treated depending on the cause of the disease, the severity of the symptoms and the age of the patient.
In general, it is addressed with medications that lower the level of thyroid hormones in the blood (synthetic antithyroid drugs) and those that also reduce the side effects that these hormones have (beta-blockers and anxiolytics), reports the Clinical Hospital from Barcelona.
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