Disorder caused by hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is a condition manifesting through excessive production of hormones by the thyroid gland. This is not considered healthy due to the fact that excessive production of thyroid hormones can lead to a severe condition called thyrotoxicosis.

Information about the Thyroid Hormones

The thyroid hormones serve a purpose of stimulating the metabolism of cells. As it was mentioned above, these hormones are produced by the thyroid glands which is found in the lower portion of our neck, just under the Adam's apple. Since this gland is formed out of two lobes, it resembles a butterfly with two wings and a center part onto which these are attached.

This gland gets rid of iodine from our blood. The reasons behind iodine in our blood are mainly consumption of seafood, salt and bread. The gland uses the iodine in order to create thyroid hormones. There are two main types of thyroid hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine. The former hormone accounts for about 99.9% of all thyroid hormones, while the latter fills in the remaining 0.1%. However, most of thyroxine hormone gets transformed into triiodothyronine in order to better the metabolism of cells.

Facts about Hyperthyroidism

Once there is an excessive production of thyroid hormones in one's body, he/she might be prone to tremors, abnormal sweating, smooth skin, fine hair, rapid heart rate and an enlarged thyroid gland.

Additionally, people who suffer from this disorder may experience eye puffiness and a slight elevation of the upper eyelids. This may make them seem as if they are staring. However, all these symptoms can be easily noticeable once the condition has been present for a longer period of time. On the other hand, early detection can be much more complicated, especially when it comes to older patients.

Either way, if the symptoms are present, visible and noticeable, blood tests are done confirming or ruling out hyperthyroidism. Simply, the thyroid hormone levels in the blood need to be elevated in order for this condition to be diagnosed. However, there is yet another factor which needs to be taken into consideration. Namely, the pituitary gland produces a hormone called TSH and in case of hyperthyroidism, the levels of TSH decrease. Alternatively, the TSH levels may be excessively high too, usually due to a pituitary tumor which leads to a rare disease called secondary hyperthyroidism.

Ultimately, as far as causes behind this condition are concerned, these are often mysterious. Nevertheless, by observing the patient's eyes, Grave's disease may be diagnosed, once the symptoms are present. Then, an antibody screening and thyroid scanning procedures can reveal potential reasons behind hyperthyroidism.