Although thyroid is known as a disease name by the society, contrary to popular belief, it is defined as the organ located in the lower part of the area known as Adam's apple in our throat and in the anterior region of the trachea.
The thyroid, which looks like the letter U or H and has the appearance of a butterfly, is responsible for producing hormones that help regulate many functions in our body. Thyroid diseases are divided into two as benign and malignant.
Malignant thyroid disease is one of the types of thyroid cancer that occurs when the cells in the thyroid gland cause cancer.
Benign thyroid disease varies according to whether the thyroid gland functions more or less.
What are the Symptoms of Thyroid Disease?
There are symptoms of hyperthyroidism in which thyroid hormone is secreted in excess. These symptoms are listed as follows;
- Heart palpitations
- High blood pressure
- Body sweating
- Irritable mood
- Don't be restless
- A body with high temperature and humidity
- Intolerance to hot weather
- Involuntary weight loss
- Tremors in hands and feet
- Breakage and loss of hair follicles
- Diarrhea
- Blurred vision
- Sensitivity to bright lights
- Lack of sleep
- Menstrual irregularities
- Goiter disease (as a result of enlargement of the thyroid gland)
Symptoms of hyperthyroidism , in whichthyroid hormone is secreted in small amounts, are listed as follows;
- Body weakness, fatigue immediately
- Tendency to depression
- Feeling unhappy
- Intolerance to cold environments
- Edema in the feet and hands
- Reduced frequency of sweating
- Hoarseness
- Constipation that won't go away
- Involuntary weight gain and increased appetite
- Forgetfulness and loss of concentration
- Delayed puberty in boys
- Decreased frequency of menstrual periods in women
Apart from these symptoms,thyroid patients may observe swelling in the neck area when the thyroid gland is enlarged.
What are Thyroid Diseases?
Thyroid diseases are divided into two as benign and malignant.
Malignant thyroid diseases are among the types of thyroid cancer that occur when the cell in the thyroid gland causes cancer.
Malignant thyroid diseases are divided into thyroid cancer and "papillary" and "follicular" thyroid cancers.
Benign thyroid diseases occur due to more or less functioning of the thyroid gland or a difference in size.
We can examine the most common benign thyroid diseases as follows;
- Goiter Goiter is the enlargement of the thyroid gland. We can observe it in two categories as nodular and non-nodular. In non-nodular goiter, the thyroid gland grows symmetrically and its surface is smooth and soft. In nodular goiter, the thyroid gland is enlarged and also has a bumpy shape. There is more than one nodule in the thyroid gland. When there are more nodules, the risk of cancer is much lower than in normal cases. Goiter disease sometimes does not cause any diagnosis, while sometimes it causes symptoms such as breathing difficulties and coughing.
- Hypothyroidism: It is a disease that occurs due to the inability of the thyroid glands to produce T3 and T4 hormones as much as necessary. Hypothyroidism causes symptoms such as weakness, constipation, dry skin, irregular weight gain, intolerance to cold, insomnia. There are various drug treatments for hypothyroidism.
- Hyperthyroidism: Hyperthyroidism, which occurs when the thyroid gland produces more than the body needs, causes organ functions to accelerate. Hyperthyroidism shows symptoms such as heart palpitations, hand and foot tremors, involuntary weight loss, mood imbalances, sweating, diarrhea, scalp loss, body fatigue. The treatment method is to slow down the production of hormones by producing thyroid medication.
