Hyperthyroidism is caused by an increase of the production
of the hormones produced by the thyroid (T3 and T4).
It is a pathology that mostly affects young women
between the ages of 35 and 45.
The most common causes for this pathology are:
- An autoimmune disease, in other words, when our own body attacks the gland.
- An inflammation of the gland, which is less common and whose origin is viral.
SYMPTOMS
The warning symptoms are:
1. Anxiety and nervousness.
Patients describe it as feeling anxious and anguished.
It is common to be experiencing these symptoms in the
evening and at night, making it very difficult to sleep.
2. Diarrhoeas.
No link to a digestive pathology is found.
3. Heart palpitations that can sometimes lead to
serious arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation.
4. Weight loss without a loss of appetite.
5. Excessive sweating and intolerance to heat.
6. Weakness and muscle fatigue, which causes patients
to be unable to fulfil their duties at work.
7. A slight hand tremor. Patients sometimes feel this
tremor throughout their body and can make them feel as though they might fall
to the floor imminently.
8. Brittle hair.
This symptom stands out because the hair does not fall
out but instead breaks off easily.
9. Disruption of periods in women.
10. A visible increase in size of the gland, which
manifests itself as a lump in the neck, called goitre.
In some cases,
bulging eyes accompany all of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism along with
inflammation of the goitre and the anterior part of the leg that is then named ‘Graves-Basedow
disease’.
- Diagnosis.
Other tests
such as ultrasound scan or thyroid scan will allow us to pinpoint the
diagnosis.
- Treatment.
Even though
patience would be needed in some cases, as a misdiagnosis is what can make
patients visit all types of doctors’ surgeries, usually the condition has an
overall good prognostic. A simple blood test solves this issue.
Dr J.
Hurtado Martínez
Medical Director of HealthSalus
Medical Director of HealthSalus