Signs of thyroid disease in women

Only a doctor should make any diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment. However, ordinary people without a medical education should have minimal knowledge about health and the human body. This is necessary in order to suspect a violation in time, consult a profile doctor and not miss precious time. Today we’ll talk about the thyroid gland - its functions, diseases, symptoms in case of malfunction, as well as the main methods of treating the thyroid gland.

Thyroid function

The thyroid gland is a small organ in the form of a butterfly, which is located on the front wall of the neck. Despite the fact that the thyroid gland is very small in size, it performs many vital functions. In general, we can say that the thyroid gland is responsible for the production of hormones, which, in turn, completely control the growth, development and condition of the body. So what are the functions of the thyroid gland?

1. The thyroid gland affects the psychological and emotional development and growth of a person.
2. The metabolic processes of the body are completely dependent on the endocrine system. The thyroid gland is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and vitamins, regulates the metabolism of calcium and potassium.
3. The thyroid gland triggers the important process of puberty in both men and women.
4. The endocrine system also works actively during the period of gestation and the birth of a baby - it produces the necessary hormones for the attachment of a fetal egg in the uterus, promotes the production of milk, etc.
5. The thyroid gland has an important effect on the circulatory and digestive systems.
6. Another very important function of the thyroid gland is that it is responsible for the functioning of the immune system. The body, if necessary, begins to produce antibodies that can resist viruses and infections.
7. Since the thyroid gland is responsible for metabolic processes, it can cause weight gain or loss.
8. In addition, the thyroid gland maintains optimal body temperature, affects cholesterol, and provides energy metabolism.

To date, thyroid diseases are quite common, especially in women. Early diagnosis is able to identify pathology in time, receive adequate treatment and change the situation. So what symptoms should alert a woman?

Signs of thyroid disease in women

Here are some of the symptoms of thyroid disease that should not be ignored.

1. Most often, lovely ladies start to panic because of their weight. It is one thing when this is the result of yesterday's overeating, another when the weight is increasing or decreasing quite rapidly, without any prerequisites for this. A sharp change in weight without apparent nutritional failure is one of the main signs of thyroid dysfunction.
2. The mood of a woman can tell about thyroid diseases. If she is constantly depressed, lethargic, she has no time and desire for the usual things - it is necessary to go to an appointment with an endocrinologist. In some cases, the mood, on the contrary, can be too aggressive, nervous, a woman constantly breaks down at work, at home, with children. Often, an excess of hormones leads to excessive tearfulness, the mood changes very quickly and often.
3. It is difficult for a woman with disorders in the thyroid gland to concentrate, her memory and brain activity are reduced - working capacity inevitably suffers from this.
4. Since hormone production is impaired, a woman may experience problems with the menstrual cycle. It can be lengthened, shortened.Menses may be scarce, plentiful, or even an abyss.
5. In some cases, there are problems with sleep - there is either insomnia, or, conversely, excessive drowsiness.
6. Often, diseases of the thyroid gland are accompanied by impaired bowel function - constipation and diarrhea occur.
7. A woman may have problems in sexual life - in many cases, hormones affect libido.
8. If the thyroid gland malfunctions, the woman’s appearance also changes - the skin becomes dry and peeling, the nails crumble, exfoliate and break, the hair falls out badly.
9. Active sweating, especially during menstruation, can also be a sign of thyroid disease.
10. In cases of thyroid dysfunction, unreasonable muscle pain, trembling in the body, etc. can be observed.

If you find similar symptoms in yourself or your close women, you should definitely see an endocrinologist. He will prescribe you tests, diagnose and prescribe an adequate treatment. Pathologies in the functioning of the thyroid gland arise for various reasons. One of the main factors is heredity - if parents had problems with the endocrine system, the risk of thyroid disease increases sharply. The region of residence is very important, Russia is the territory of iodine deficiency in water and soil. An important role is played by stresses, adverse environmental conditions and unbalanced nutrition. But what diseases can the above symptoms indicate?

Thyroid disease

Thyroid disorders can occur for various reasons. Here are some of the most common thyroid diseases.

Hyperthyroidism
This is the state of the thyroid gland, in which its activity increases several times. Due to this, the lion's dose of hormones is released into the body, which accelerates all metabolic processes. Hyperthyroidism is most often diagnosed in young women. The disease develops due to various pathologies of the pituitary gland, the formation of nodes in the gland, autoimmune diseases, etc. Many symptoms of thyroid disorders are similar, but there are still some differences. With hyperthyroidism, disorders of the central nervous system are particularly pronounced. A woman becomes irritable, excitable, unbalanced. She can laugh hysterically, and after a minute cry with bitter tears. Patients with this diagnosis talk very quickly and confusedly, lose their concentration of thought, they often experience fear and anxiety, and small tremors in their hands may appear. In violation of the production of hormones, various pathologies can appear. Cardiovascular changes are expressed by tachycardia, flickering heart rate, increased blood pressure.

Almost half of patients with hyperthyroidism are characterized by an ophthalmic disorder, in which the palpebral fissure increases and the eyeball is pulled out of the orbit. In this case, the mobility of the eyes decreases, the eyelids swell, rarely blink. Vision is also impaired - the patient sees objects bifurcated, lacrimation and pain in the eyes appear, which can often lead to optic atrophy and blindness.

Since metabolic processes in the body are accelerated, women with a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism may experience increased sweating, decreased body weight against a background of high appetite. Treatment of hyperthyroidism may be different depending on the characteristics of the course of the disease in the patient. This can be a drug suppression of the activity of the thyroid gland, surgical removal of the gland or part thereof, as well as treatment with radioactive iodine.

Hypothyroidism
In contrast to the previous diagnosis, hypothyroidism is characterized by insufficient production of thyroid hormones. Reduced thyroid function is manifested by slow metabolic processes in the body.First of all, this is evident from the obesity of a woman - she gains weight, even if she eats moderately and balanced.

Such women seem slow - they think slowly, move, slowly make decisions. Very often, such patients suffer from fatigue and constipation, they are constantly freezing, they have no sexual desire. Among the signs of hypothyroidism, spasms of the limbs, long and painful menstruation, and a hoarse voice can be distinguished. It is difficult to diagnose hypothyroidism, since many of the symptoms of a woman are associated with fatigue, overwork, and a change in the quality of life. A feature of hypothyroidism is the absence of characteristic symptoms of the disease. Many of the symptoms can be “tied” to other diagnoses and conditions. Moreover, the severity of symptoms has nothing to do with hormone deficiency in the body. Symptoms may be evident with a slight deficiency and may not be noticeable with a serious pathology.

Many doctors may suspect hypothyroidism by the appearance of a person - he has a yellowish and puffy face, which is explained by swelling of the tissues. If you suspect a lack of hormones, the doctor prescribes a blood test to the patient, which will help to accurately determine the level of hormones in the body.

Thyroid cancer

If thyroid cancer is suspected, in addition to the main diagnostic measures (blood test, ultrasound, etc.), a biopsy should be done. For this, part of the thyroid gland tissue is taken by puncture, a histological analysis is done and, based on its results, a decision is made on further treatment tactics. If the thyroid gland is affected, it is removed - partially or completely. You can live without a thyroid gland, but you need to maintain hormone therapy throughout your life. Of course, after removal, you need to constantly be observed by the endocrinologist and adhere to his recommendations.

The thyroid gland is a small, but very necessary and important organ that allows you to maintain normal human activity. To protect yourself from thyroid disease, you need to follow preventive measures in time. You can not take iodine without a doctor’s prescription - only on his prescription. It is better to consume iodine from foods - most of all it is found in walnuts and cauliflower. Watch your health, go to routine examinations to narrow-profile specialists, and you can recognize the problem on time.

Video: symptoms and signs of thyroid disease