Do you think you may have hypothyroidism? Here are the symptoms to check and how to deal with this disease if you have it.

In her report, published by the American website "The Healthy", writer Dennis Mann said that the thyroid gland is located at the base of the neck. According to the American Thyroid Association, the thyroid's job is to produce hormones that help the body consume energy, maintain its normal temperature and ensure all its vital organs work like the brain, heart, and muscles.

If the thyroid gland stops producing the required level of hormones (hypothyroidism), or if it produces too much (hyperthyroidism), you may need treatment. The American Thyroid Association indicates that about twenty million Americans suffer from a thyroid disorder, and women are more likely to develop this condition than men.

Dr. John Woody Systrank - who is an endocrinologist and president of the American Thyroid Association in Jackson Mississippi - explained that while some thyroid disorders, specifically hypothyroidism, are hidden initially, symptoms of hyperthyroidism can suddenly appear.

An accurate diagnosis of a rapid start to treatment is essential, because if the thyroid disease develops and remains untreated, it increases the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and sterility.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism
The author stated that hypothyroidism is a lack of thyroid activity to secrete enough of its hormones to maintain normal body function. Often the cause of thyroiditis is Hashimoto's disease - chronic thyroiditis - an autoimmune disease that causes the body to produce antibodies to thyroid cells, which impedes its functioning.

Another reason for hypothyroidism, according to Dr Systrank, is to undergo a surgical gland removal or history with radiotherapy at the neck level.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
● Weight gain.
● Fatigue.
● Hair loss.
● Bulging.
● depression.
● Forgetting.

Dr. Systranc noted that many of these symptoms are vague and can be linked to a host of other conditions. The only way to confirm the cause of hypothyroidism is to have a blood test for the hormone that stimulates the thyroid gland (TSH) or a thyroid hormone test known as T4.

The thyroid stimulating hormone assay measures the amount of the hormone T4 to be produced. The high level of this hormone indicates that the thyroid gland needs more hormone T4, because there is not enough of it in the bloodstream. And blood tests for the hormone T4 can measure the level of this hormone with blood.

Symptoms of hyperthyroidism
According to Dr. Systrank, hyperthyroidism is less common than hypothyroidism. The most common cause of this condition is Graves' disease, an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, which makes it highly active.

Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include:
● Weight loss.
● Heat intolerance.
● Heart rate acceleration.
● panic.
● Puffy eyes.
● goiter.
● Short menstrual periods.


How are thyroid problems treated?
Thyroid problems can be treated. The first step is to get a suitable diagnosis by an endocrinologist. And the endocrinologist at New Jersey Parsippany, Sherrill Rosenfeld, and associate professor of medicine at Toro College of Orthopedic Medicine in New York, agree that medical treatment is the best solution.

According to this specialist, everyone is looking for natural remedies to make the thyroid gland work better through diet or nutritional supplements, but "there is no scientific evidence for any particular diet or food that is able to improve the functioning of the thyroid gland."

Hyperthyroidism is usually treated with radioiodine, as the thyroid gland needs iodine to produce hormones. And when the radioactive iodine is given to the patient in the form of a pill or liquid, it works to reduce the size of the thyroid gland, which is a standard treatment for thyroid cancer. According to Dr. Systrank, it is important to avoid prolonged or close contact with others for several days after undergoing treatment.