Health

Thyroid Disease Treatments

In a comparison of hyperthyroidism vs. hypothyroidism, that there are quite a few differences between the two despite the similarity in the names. To be clear, hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. When this happens, metabolism slows leading to unexplained fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, swollen face, muscle weakness, and sensitivity to cold due to lack of thyroid hormone production, of T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine). Hyperthyroidism, on the other hand, occurs when the body produces excessive thyroid hormones, cause increased heart rate and heart palpitations, breathlessness, increased appetite, irritability, excessive sweating, and unexplained weight loss. However, with proper medication and treatment, the thyroid will function more efficiently and symptoms of both hyper- and hypothyroidism will be reduced greatly.

Treatment options for thyroid disease may include:

1. Radioactive Iodine
This medication can actually help shrink the thyroid, but it can take about 3- to 6-months to begin working effectively. About 70% of adults with this condition take this type of medication to help keep hyperthyroidism under control. The radioactive iodine works to kill off excessive thyroid cells, thus leaving the thyroid to produce less hormones.

2. Antithyroid drugs
These medications help to block the production of thyroid hormones and take about 3-months to work for treating hyperthyroidism. The downside is that about 3% of people who take this type of medication will develop an allergic reaction to it over time.

3. Beta Blockers
Beta blocker treatment (i.e., Inderal) can help to alleviate the symptoms associated with excessive thyroid hormones in hyperthyroidism that cause symptoms like heart palpitations, caused by too high thyroid hormone impact on the heart and nervous system. However, these drugs may come with some side effects such as headache, dizziness, and even digestive issues.

4. Selenium
Selenium is a vitamin that can be found in many of the foods that we already eat (i.e., eggs, yogurt, and mushrooms). However, supplementation with selenium can help the thyroid better handle stress and keep metabolism function more stable.

5. Zinc
Zinc is often lacking in North American diets as is. Yet, when hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism is also present, adding zinc to the diet can significantly decrease the unwanted symptoms that these conditions cause. Zinc can be found in many of the foods that we eat (i.e., chocolate, cashews, spinach, and chicken).

6. Synthetic thyroid hormones
Hypothyroidism is treated with an oral synthetic thyroid hormone levothyroxine medication (i.e., Synthroid, Levo-T, etc.), which levels out hormone levels and reverses the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

7. Surgery
Surgery is a last option for a severely overactive thyroid. This surgery will remove the thyroid completely with a procedure known as a thyroidectomy. Orbital decompression surgery is another way to get relief from the symptoms and is ideal for those who suffer from Grave’s disease, an autoimmune disease.