Thyroid

Thyroid

At the base of your neck, just below Adam's apple, lies a small thyroid gland shaped like a butterfly. Being a part of your body's endocrine system, this gland produces thyroid hormone, which is carried throughout your body via the blood. This hormone affects several aspects of the body's metabolism, such as how quickly the calories are burnt and how fast the heart beats.

Two primary hormones thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3) are produced by the gland. They are crucial for controlling the body's metabolism, weight, energy levels, internal temperature, and the development of skin, hair, and nails. The related disorders result in either overproduction or underproduction of the hormones. As a result, one may experience fatigue or agitation more frequently or lose or gain weight, depending on the hormone the gland produces. Therefore, getting proper treatment becomes essential.

Most common types of thyroid disease are:-

The range of conditions and disorders is broad, ranging from a harmless goitre (enlarged gland) to life-threatening cancer and a majority of issues are brought on by abnormal production of the corresponding hormones.

1. Hypothyroidism(Hypo T)

   Commonly referred to as an underactive thyroid, it happens when the gland becomes unable to produce sufficient hormone in order to fulfil your body's needs. Decreased hormones lead to the slowing down of many bodily processes and may also contribute towards elevated cholesterol levels. People over 60 are more likely to suffer from this condition. Myxedema coma, an extreme type of hypo T in which the body's processes halt to the point of life-threatening point, is a rare but severe complication.

2. Hyperthyroidism(Hyper T)

   It refers to a condition when the gland produces more hormones than the body requires and is sometimes referred to as an overactive thyroid. This causes several bodily processes to accelerate, and if left untreated, the condition can result in major health issues such as weakened bones, muscular strains, fertility issues, and irregular heartbeat, which can cause stroke, blood clots, and even heart failure.

3. Thyroid Cancer(TC)

   Cancer is formed when cells start to multiply in an uncontrolled manner. Malignant (cancer) cells can develop in the gland's tissues, leading to TC. Every type of cell results in a different sort of cancer. The distinctions are significant because they determine the severity of the condition and the sort of treatment required.

   The primary forms include the following:

   • Differentiated Differentiated TC develops in the follicular cells of the thyroid gland. It's a kind of cancer where the cancerous cells resemble healthy thyroid cells. They tend to grow slowly, with papillary and follicular being the most common types.
   • Medullary Roughly 4% of TC are attributed to Medullary TC(MTC). It develops within the gland's C cells, which are responsible for producing the calcitonin hormone that helps in regulating the blood's calcium levels. Even before a thyroid nodule is found, the cancer may spread to lymph nodes, the liver, or the lungs.
   • Anaplastic About 2% of TC are anaplastic cancers, which are an uncommon kind of disease. It is believed to arise from follicular or papillary cancer. Since the cancer cells do not appear similar to normal thyroid cells, it is also known as undifferentiated cancer. This cancer is highly difficult to cure and usually spreads rapidly to the neck and other parts of the body.

4. Goitre

   Iodine levels play a significant role in the disease-related disorders. Goitre results from severe iodine shortage because, in this situation, despite an overall enlargement of the gland to maximise iodine absorption and recycling, iodine concentrations are too low to allow for the creation of thyroid hormone. Hypo/hyper thyroidism can both lead to the development of a goitre.

5. Thyroiditis

   Thyroiditis Subtypes
   Type	Etiology	Clinical presentation	Diagnosis	Complications
   Chronic autoimmune Hashimoto Chronic lymphocytic	Autoimmune	Painless goiter, hyроthyroidism, subclinical hypo T, and, rarely, transient hyper T	Thyroid function tests(TFT) (differ with phase); TPO and increase in thyroglobulin antibodies	Hypo T
   Postpartum	Autoimmune	Hyper T alone, or followed by transient or permanent hypo T, or hypo T alone within 1 year of delivery, or medical abortion	TFT (differ with phase)	Up to 70% of patients experience recurrence with successive pregnancies, and 15% to 50% of women develop permanent hypo T.
   Subacute	Post-viral	Anterior neck pain, dysphagia, upper respiratory tract infection; hyper T followed by transient hypo T	TFT (differ with phase), An increase in TPO antibodies (low titers are seen in up to 25% of patients)	Self-limited; after 12 months of initiation, most patients become euthyroid; 5% to 15% of patients develop chronic hypo T: 1% to 4% recur

   Drug-induced Thyroiditis
   Drug	Clinical use	Thyroid dysfunction	Mechanism
   Lithium	Depression, bipolar disorder	Goiter, Hypo- more often than hyper T, Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis	Impaired absorption of iodine; inhibition of thyroid hormone synthesis and release; increased thyroid autoimmunity; direct toxic effect on the gland

What are the causes of thyroid?

The following are various thyroid causes:-

1. Iodine disorders

   Iodine deficiency causes disease-related problems like goitre, hypo T, hyper T, etc.

2. Auto-immune diseases

   When the gland is damaged by the body's immune system, such as Graves' disease.

3. Non-functioning thyroid gland

   The gland's improper functioning is also a causative factor for disease-related problems.

4. Inflammation

   Inflammation causes oxidative stress through changes in hormones and cytokines affecting the gland's functioning.

5. Medications and treatment

   Certain medicines and treatment procedures affect the normal functioning of the gland.

Is thyroid disease more common in females?

Autoimmune reactions, i.e., when the body's immune system starts to target its cells, cause the gland to become active. Autoimmune diseases affect women more commonly than men. The interaction between thyroid hormones and the hormones that change during the menstrual cycle is another factor contributing to the incidence of these problems in women. Although the disease related issues can arise anytime, they are more prevalent in women after menopause because of the altered hormone levels. Unfortunately, some women could misunderstand the signs of these issues for those in menopause, which can keep them from getting help.