The full name of hyperthyroidism is "hyperthyroidism", which is an endocrine disorder. Too much iodine in the blood can cause symptoms such as palpitations, insomnia, weight loss, irritability, goiter, and bulging eyes.

I once suffered from hyperthyroidism. Although this disease is not a serious illness, the longer it is delayed, the more obvious and serious the symptoms become. Don't expect that if you leave it alone, the symptoms will slowly disappear. This kind of thinking is very dangerous. Since hyperthyroidism has the greatest impact on the heart, patients with hyperthyroidism must not take it lightly. Once diagnosed, they must cooperate with a doctor for treatment.

Patients with hyperthyroidism generally need to take medicine for two to three years before their indicators stabilize. It can be said that the process is long and painful. Therefore, patients with hyperthyroidism must maintain a calm mind while taking medication.

Hyperthyroidism is a group of clinical syndromes caused by increased secretion of thyroid hormones in the body caused by various diseases. It is a description of the functional status of the thyroid gland. To say how serious this disease is, firstly, it is not a terminal disease, and secondly, it is a curable disease. What problems will occur if this disease is not treated?

1. The severity of hyperthyroidism symptoms is related to the degree of hyperthyroidism, that is, how many times the increase of FT4 and FT3 is greater than that of normal people. The greater the increase, the more severe the symptoms.

2. Common health hazards mainly include the following:

1. Impact on general conditions: agitation, irritability, insomnia, dreaminess, weight loss, and in severe cases, Severe weight loss occurs. Excessive weight loss can cause menstrual disorders, amenorrhea, difficulty in pregnancy, and infertility.

2. Effect on the heart: Myocardial contractility increases, the heart beats per minute faster, and symptoms such as palpitation and chest tightness occur. Hyperthyroidism that is not treated for a long time can cause arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, and even heart failure. Exhaustion. Atrial fibrillation is an important risk factor for cerebral embolism and therefore increases the risk of stroke.

3. Impact on the digestive system: If you eat more, you will get hungry quickly, and the frequency of bowel movements will increase. Although you eat more, you will lose weight.

4. Effect on the eyes: Hyperthyroidism can cause exophthalmos. If hyperthyroidism is not treated, the exophthalmos may become more and more serious, causing incomplete eyelid closure during sleep and eye interference. In severe cases, it can affect the eyes. vision.

5. Effect on muscles: Asian men may also suffer from hypokalemic periodic paralysis due to hyperthyroidism, which manifests as sudden weakness in the limbs and difficulty in standing. Weakness in the lower limb muscles and pelvic girdle muscles is the most common.

6. In acute emergency situations such as surgery, infection, or trauma, hyperthyroidism crisis can also occur. It is a clinical emergency and severe disease. If not treated in time, it will be life-threatening. of.

There are three main treatments for hyperthyroidism: drug treatment, iodine 131 radiotherapy, and surgery. Although various treatment methods have certain advantages and disadvantages, hyperthyroidism with active treatment can be cured and will rarely lead to serious life-threatening conditions.

1. Drug treatment

Including two drugs, one is antithyroid drugs, which can inhibit the synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormones by thyroid cells, mainly methimazole or propylthiouracil . One is a beta receptor blocker, mainly propranolol, which can reduce the excitatory effect of thyroid hormone on the heart, reduce the sensitivity of surrounding tissues to thyroid hormone, and reduce symptoms related to hyperthyroidism. The drug treatment period for hyperthyroidism is relatively long, about 1.5 to 2 years, and has side effects of leukopenia and liver function damage. About 40% of patients may relapse after stopping the drug. The advantage is that it does not damage the structural integrity of the thyroid gland and does not cause permanent hypothyroidism (permanent hypothyroidism requires lifelong Euthyrox replacement therapy). This treatment method is the preferred treatment method in our country.

2. Iodine radioactive therapy

The principle of treatment is to use radioactive iodine to permanently destroy thyroid cells, making them unable to synthesize and secrete thyroid hormones. It may only need to be taken orally once or Give oral liquid or pills of iodine twice, and the treatment time is short. However, permanent hypothyroidism is easy to occur, and with the accumulation of time after treatment, the probability of permanent hypothyroidism increases. It is currently the preferred way to treat hyperthyroidism in European and American countries. This treatment is contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation and in adolescents under 18 years of age. And you need to use contraception for at least six months after receiving this treatment.

3. Surgical treatment

The principle of surgical treatment is somewhat similar to that of iodine radioactive therapy. They both permanently destroy thyroid cells and reduce the production of thyroid hormone. If you cut too much, the risk of permanent hypothyroidism increases. If you cut too little, hyperthyroidism will still exist. Currently, surgery is basically not used to treat hyperthyroidism unless the thyroid is abnormally enlarged, causing symptoms of compression, or the presence of malignant tumors is suspected. Therefore, the recommendation of general practitioners is the same as that of most doctors in China. When there are no contraindications to medication, drug treatment is the first choice. Secondly, the drug treatment has poor efficacy, or the hyperthyroidism relapses repeatedly after stopping the drug, or the side effects of the drug cannot be tolerated. For recipients, it is recommended to use iodine radiotherapy.

I am a general practitioner. Thank you for reading. I wish you good health. I also wish everyone a healthy Dragon Boat Festival!

Hello, I am happy to answer your question.

First of all, you need to clarify what causes your hyperthyroidism. If it is caused by thyroid inflammation, the symptoms are relatively not very serious, and some can even return to normal on their own. If hyperthyroidism is caused by Grave's disease, it still needs treatment. Generally speaking, it will not heal on its own, and in some cases of stress or infection, the symptoms will worsen. If left untreated for a long time, hyperthyroidism crisis may occur. This is a very serious complication and is life-threatening. Therefore, once hyperthyroidism is discovered, you first need to go to the hospital to find out the cause, and then decide on the next treatment. You cannot generalize. Of course, you can't just rely on your feelings.

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