How thyroid disease affects your body

The thyroid gland resembles a butterfly and resides on both sides of the throat. Although it is a tiny organ, it controls the body's normal metabolism and growth and development.

Once the thyroid is out of control, the number one organ involved is the heart, and palpitation, chest pain, and myocardial infarction may follow one after another.

How to control thyroid

How thyroid disease affects the heart

The heart is like the engine of the human body. It has a complete conduction system that can “generate electricity” and pump out blood to meet the body's nutritional needs. But you may not know that thyroid disease is one of the important sources of interference affecting heart health.

Professor Kang said that to a certain extent, the heart and thyroid are like a pair of "good brothers", with each other for good and evil. The thyroid gland is located in front of the trachea in the neck and below the laryngeal knot. It is one of the three major glands in the human body. The hormones secreted by it can regulate the heartbeat, pulse, blood circulation, heart contraction and oxygen consumption. Once the thyroid hormone is secreted too much (hyperthyroidism) or insufficient secretion (hypothyroidism) will affect the heart.

For example, if the body's engine is normally at 100 rpm, after suffering from hyperthyroidism, the overall metabolism will speed up and the body can reach 2000 rpm. The body is normal at 100 revolutions. If it reaches 2000 revolutions, various "abnormal" situations will occur.

Hyperthyroidism will accelerate myocardial metabolism, thereby changing the structure of the heart, affecting blood dynamics, leading to cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure, angina pectoris, and myocardial infarction. At the same time, because hyperthyroidism will release too much thyroxine, these thyroxines will affect and stimulate the "enzymes" in the human cardio myocytes, resulting in electrophysiological abnormalities, leading to arrhythmia, and severe cases may even suffer from hyperthyroid heart disease.

Hypothyroidism will cause insufficient synthesis or secretion of thyroxine, reduce the metabolic rate of various organs and tissues of the body, cause water and sodium retention, increase the permeability of tissue capillaries, and slow down local lymphatic reflux, leading to pericardial effusion. At the same time, hypothyroidism can also cause a slower heart rate, abnormal blood lipids, and even aggravate heart failure.

Cardiovascular disease caused by abnormal thyroid function is reversible. After the thyroid function returns to normal, the patient's cardiovascular disease will usually improve rapidly. The key is to find early and actively treat the original disease.

Each of the three thyroid diseases has its own characteristics

The incidence of thyroid diseases is high, ranking second in endocrine and metabolic diseases, second only to diabetes. Currently, there are about 300 million people suffering from thyroid disease in the world.

 

Global age-standardized incidence of thyroid cancer in 2018

(The darker the color, the higher the incidence)

The thyroid gland is the "master controller" of metabolism. The hormones secreted are involved in the functions of various systems throughout the body, mainly affecting the cardiovascular system, and regulating endocrine, digestive, and nervous systems. The vast majority of thyroid diseases are asymptomatic, and many patients are found during physical examinations.

The following are the characteristics and treatments of 3 common thyroid diseases:

Thyroid nodules

Physical examination or usually suddenly feel the goiter, it is necessary to judge it’s benign and malignant, functional status, size, and whether there are symptoms of compression. If there are symptoms of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism at the same time, plus abnormal examination indicators, it means that the thyroid function is abnormal.

Judging malignancy mainly depends on 4 points:

Are younger than 14 years old or older than 70 years old, male, have a history of head and neck radiation, nodules grow rapidly, and have a family history of thyroid cancer ;

Continuous hoarseness, difficulty in pronunciation and swallowing;

The nodules are hard, fixed, non-tender, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck;

Ultrasound, radionuclide, CT, fine-needle aspiration biopsy and other auxiliary examinations, among which the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound is 70%~80%, which is significantly higher than that of CT and MRI.

Most benign thyroid nodules do not require treatment, and regular follow-up (every 6-12 months) is enough. If the nodule is relatively large and causes local compression, treatment is required, usually surgery, iodine 131 treatment, and levothyroxine suppression treatment are the main ones. If it is suspected to be malignant, surgical resection is required. Clinically, 5% to 15% of thyroid nodules are malignant, and differentiated thyroid cancer accounts for 95%. Most thyroid cancers have a good prognosis, and the 10- year survival rate is almost the same as that of normal people.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is thyrotoxicosis caused by the hyper function of the thyroid gland itself and the increase in synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormones.

Common symptoms: irritability, heart palpitations, fear of heat, hyperhidrosis, weight loss, hyper appetite, insomnia, increased stool frequency or diarrhea, sparse menstruation in women, accompanied by periodic paralysis and progressive muscle weakness, symptoms of hyper metabolic symptoms in elderly patients are not obvious .

20 to 50 year-old female was significantly high, the incidence of women as men 4-6 times, familial tendency is obvious.

Young people (under 20 years old) with first onset, mild disease, and small thyroid, as well as pregnant women and elderly people, are preferred to drug treatment;

Patients with significant goiter, multiple nodules, and local compression symptoms should choose surgical treatment;

If long-term drug treatment fails or relapses after stopping the drug, iodine 131 treatment can be selected. The first choice is methimazole, but pregnant women and patients with hyperthyroidism should choose pyrimidine drugs, which have a low risk of teratogenicity.

Since thyroid hormone synthesis cycle is about to 1 month, and therefore slower onset, often to bear fruit after two weeks or a month, long-term medication to be prescribed by a doctor.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a disease in which the synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormones are reduced or the systemic metabolism is reduced due to disorders of tissue utilization.

Common symptoms: fear of cold, fatigue, fatigue, weight gain, memory loss, slow response, drowsiness, constipation, abdominal distension, irregular menstruation, chest tightness, shortness of breath, facial edema, slow heart rate, etc. For example, patients often fall asleep while watching TV, and wear sweaters in summer.

According to a survey conducted by Peking University First Hospital, the prevalence of hypothyroidism increases with age. Female patients are 8-10 times higher than men.

Hypothyroidism generally uses alternative treatments, that is, supplementation of thyroid hormones. Clinically, many patients worry about the side effects of hormone therapy. In fact, doctors will start with a small dose based on the patient’s age, weight, etiology, condition, etc., which generally will not cause adverse reactions. The doctor will also adjust the dose based on the results of the test, usually every 4 to 6 weeks in the early stage. After the hormone level remains normal, it can be reviewed once every 3 months to 3 years.

It should be particularly emphasized that hypothyroidism requires lifelong hormone replacement therapy. Random discontinuation of the drug is likely to cause thyroid crisis and even death.

Generally speaking, simple thyroid nodules do not need treatment, only regular follow-up observation. However, hypothyroidism requires life-long treatment, and hyperthyroidism requires standard treatment in accordance with the doctor's advice. Thyroid hormones are involved in the functions of various systems throughout the body. If they do not receive standardized treatment, they will endanger the health of the whole body.

These signals remind you that the thyroid is out of control

Thyroid affects many functions of the human body. The American "Health" magazine published an article that published “14 signs of thyroid disorders" summarized by Robin Miller, an authoritative American endocrine disease expert.

1. Thinning hair

Hair becomes brittle and easily breaks or falls off is one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Low thyroid hormone can also disrupt the hair growth cycle, causing many hair follicles (including eyebrows) to enter the "dormant" stage, resulting in hair loss. Hyperthyroidism can also cause thinning of the hair.

2. Hoarse voice

A hoarse throat or a lump in the throat may be a problem with the thyroid gland. You can self-check whether the neck is thick and whether there is goiter. If an abnormality is found, seek medical attention in time.

3. Increased appetite and altered taste

Hyperthyroidism can lead to a large increase in appetite and always feel hungry. But because the body consumes a lot of calories, hyperthyroidism patients do not gain weight. On the other hand, hypothyroidism can easily lead to abnormal taste and smell.

4. Muscle pain

Sudden tingling, numbness or pain in the toes, arms, legs, feet or hands may be caused by hypothyroidism. The reason is that persistently low levels of thyroid hormone can easily lead to damage to the nerves that transmit information to the brain and spine.

5. Dry skin

Dry and itchy skin is another symptom of hypothyroidism. The slow metabolism caused by hypothyroidism will cause the skin tissue and epidermis to reduce moisture and dry skin. For the same reason, the nails began to become brittle and lines appeared.

6. Constipation and diarrhea

Hypothyroidism will slow down the digestion process and easily lead to constipation. Hyperthyroidism can easily lead to diarrhea.

7. Sexual interest is greatly reduced

Loss or disappearance of sexual interest may be one of the side effects of thyroid disease. Hypothyroidism can lead to a decrease in libido, and the fatigue and body pain caused by hypothyroidism can also affect sexual life.

8. Menstrual disorders

Women with long menstrual cycles, heavy menstrual bleeding and frequent dysmenorrhea may also be related to hypothyroidism. Hyperthyroidism can also lead to irregular menstrual cycles, short menstrual periods, less menstrual blood, and longer time between menstruations.

9. Difficulty in pregnancy

Women still have difficulty getting pregnant after a long period of hard work after marriage, which is probably caused by hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Thyroid dysfunction can infect normal ovulation and affect pregnancy. Thyroid problems can also cause more pregnancy syndromes.

10. Body temperature imbalance

Hypothyroidism can easily cause chills. The reason is that low thyroid hormones will cause energy to be consumed by cells, low body energy, and chills in the limbs. On the contrary, the energy-producing cells in patients with hyperthyroidism are too active, which can easily cause the body to heat up or sweat abnormally.

11. Fatigue

Feeling tired and sluggish is related to many diseases and is also the number one symptom of hypothyroidism. After a night of sleep, if you get up in the morning and feel tired, or you can't lift your energy throughout the day, it may be hypothyroidism.

12. Sleep disorders

Lethargy is one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Low thyroid hormones can cause the body's various functions to fail to function properly, leading to fatigue and drowsiness. On the other hand, hyperthyroidism can easily lead to anxiety and increased heart rate, difficulty falling asleep or insomnia.

13. Tension and anxiety

Anxiety and "paresthesia" may be symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Excessive secretion of thyroid hormone can cause the body's sympathetic nervous system to "excite", making it difficult to relax.

14. Depressed mood

Extreme depression or sadness is also a major symptom of hypothyroidism. The reason is that too little thyroid hormone will affect the secretion of "euphoric hormone"-serotonin in the brain.

4 kinds of thyroid diseases each have "symptomatic recipes"

Thyroid diseases also require dietary intake. According to the characteristics of different thyroid diseases, it is recommended that everyone follow the following principles in their diet.

       Thyroid nodules

Control iodine intake

Iodine intake has a significant impact on the prevalence of thyroid nodules. Excessive or insufficient iodine intake will increase the risk of disease; the consumption of iodized salt can meet the body's iodine needs. If you eat iodized salt at the same time as long-term intake of iodine High foods may cause excess iodine.

Therefore, patients with thyroid nodules should not have a long-term high-iodine diet, and pay attention to a balanced and moderate intake of iodine. Specific recommendations: For those with thyroid nodules without hyperthyroidism, recommend a low-iodine diet, edible iodized salt, and restrict high-iodine foods such as kelp and laver; for thyroid nodules with hyperthyroidism, avoid an iodine diet and eat non-iodized salt.

Hyperthyroidism

Three high and three taboos

The "three highs" are high-calorie, high-protein, and high-vitamin. Among them, high-calorie needs to eat more staple foods, such as rice and noodles, to maintain a healthy weight ; high-protein, drink more milk, eat more fish, tofu and other high-quality and high-protein foods ; high for an adequate intake of vitamin B vitamins, vitamin A , C , D .

"Three taboos" are to avoid iodized salt, iodine-containing seafood and irritating foods, such as kelp, seaweed, seaweed ( dry ) , spirulina, seaweed, sea rice ( dry ) , dried shrimps, etc.

Hypothyroidism

Full of nutrition

Hypothyroidism diet requires rich nutrition, supplements with enough protein, eat more lean meat, fish, skinless poultry, protein, soy products, etc. Limit fat and cholesterol intake, hypothyroidism patients have blood cholesterol levels due to reduced metabolism it can often rise. It is recommended to limit cholesterol-rich foods, such as egg yolks, butter, nuts, tahini, fatty pork, pork belly and so on. It is best to control the daily edible oil within 20 grams.

Due to insufficient thyroid hormones, patients with hypothyroidism may have red blood cell synthesis disorders, prone to anemia, and decreased iron absorption, which further aggravates the tendency of anemia. Therefore, patients with hypothyroidism need to consume iron-rich foods, such as lean meat and animal blood. At the same time, pay attention to supplement folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin C to promote the synthesis of hemoglobin and the absorption of iron.

In addition, the diet of patients with hypothyroidism should not be too salty to avoid aggravating the symptoms of edema, and should eat a variety of grains, fresh vegetables and fruits.

Different types of hypothyroidism have different requirements for iodine:

Endemic goiter is hypothyroidism caused by iodine deficiency, and iodine can be supplemented appropriately;

For hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto's thyroiditis, it is necessary to limit high-iodine foods such as kelp and seaweed to avoid short-term intake of excessive iodine and cause fluctuations in the condition;

In hypothyroidism after thyroid surgery and isotope therapy, the body cannot use iodine to synthesize enough thyroid hormone. Therefore, iodine supplementation is meaningless.

Thyroiditis

Avoid high iodine diet

Thyroiditis is a type of heterogeneous thyroid disease caused by various reasons. The etiology is different, and the clinical manifestations and prognosis are quite different. The patient's thyroid function can be normal, hyperthyroid, or hypothyroid. Sometimes all three dysfunctions can occur during the course of the disease, and some patients eventually develop permanent hypothyroidism.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis) is common. Such patients can consume iodized salt normally, but avoid high-iodine diet.