Treatments

There are many effective treatments readily available for all types of hyperthyroidism. They can be generally classified into 2 parts -- medications and surgical procedures.

Medications

Anti-thyroid medications

Goal: Gradually reduce symptoms by interfering with the thyroid gland's ability to make its hormones.
Results: Some may be able to clear up the problem permanently but others may experience a relapse
Side effects: Serious liver damage, deficiency of white blood cells
Examples of drugs: Propylthiouracil, Methimazole

Radioactive Iodine Treatments 


Goal: Causes thyroid gland to shrink and thereby resulting in symptoms to subside
Mechanism: This treatment makes use of  the fact that thyroid cells are the only cells that have the ability to absorb iodine. When radioactive form of the iodine are absorbed by the thyroid cells, they become damaged or killed.
Side effects: Causes the under activity of thyroid gland (hypothyrodism). May have to eventually take medication every day to replace thyroxine.

Surgical removal of gland or nodules

Surgery is usually not used as frequently as the other treatments. It is used in conditions where patients are unable to tolerate anti-thyroid drugs, radioactive iodine or pregnant.
In surgical procedure, the portion of thyroid gland removed is dependent on the location of the hot nodules.

Side effects: damage to vocal cords and parathyroid glands (tiny glands on the back of the thyroid gland that control the calcium level in blood)


References
http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/thyroid-gland-function
http://www.webmd.com/women/tc/hyperthyroidism-treatment-overview?page=2

Effects of Hyperthyroidism on body

As previously mentioned, hyperthyroidism is a medical condition in which the thyroid glands produces too much of the thyroid hormones which are responsible for the body’s growth and metabolism.

So you could probably guess that having too much of thyroid hormones in your body will increase the body’s normal metabolic functions which leads to severe weight loss, increased appetite, fast or irregular heartbeat, sweating, nervousness, irritability, fatigue, and muscle weakness.

Here’s a summary of the common signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism in a picture diagram:

Most people with hyperthyroidism do not have all the symptoms but a combination of two or more is common. Symptoms usually develop slowly over several weeks. All the symptoms can be caused by other problems and so the diagnosis may not be obvious at first. Symptoms may be mild to start with but become worse as the level of thyroxine (T-4) in the blood gradually rise.

Symptoms specific to Graves' disease

Thyroid eye disease

Also known as exopthalmus, is present in almost all patients with Graves' disease. The condition is usually mild and does not progess after hyperthyroidism is under control.

When eye disease is present, the skin covering the eye and the muscles within the orbit (bony part of the skull where the eyes sit) become swelled and puffy. Since there is a limited space within the orbit, this will force the swollen skin and muscle to push forward and if it is pushed forward far enough, your eyelids cannot close fully, resulting in irritation and redness of eyeball.

People with thyroid eye disease may also suffer from double vision, tearing and photophobia.

Thyroid skin disease

Is the abnormal thickening of the skin, usually in the front of the lower leg. It may also affects the other parts of the body, such as the thighs, shoulders, and forearms but it is not as common. These problems may last for months or longer and will gradually improve.

Patient's fingers become wider and may experience arthritic damage to the joints of fingers. 

Causes of Hyperthyroidism

Majority of the hyperthyroidism conditions are caused by Graves’ disease which accounts for 80% of the hyperthyroidism cases.

Graves' disease can be distinctively identified by lumpy neck and protruding eyes (if you remember that pair of eyes on our very first post). It is an autoimmune disease where the immune system makes antibody called thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI). These antibodies mimics the function of TSH to stimulate the thyroid to make thyroid hormone excessively.

So what about the other 20%? Other causes will include the following: 

Abnormal secretion of TSH

Presence of tumour in the pituitary gland may result in the secretion of high level of TSH. This leads to excessive signalling of thyroid hormone production by the thyroid gland.

Temporary Thyroiditis

Following viral infections or pregnancies, some people will have inflammatory reaction in their thyroid glands known as thyroiditis. Inflammation of the thyroid gland causes it to become “leaky”, so the amount of thyroid hormone entering the blood will increase.

Over-consumption of Iodine

The thyroid gland uses iodine to make thyroid hormones. Taking certain medications, such as amiodarone, food that has high-iodine content, or supplements that contain higher-than-recommended daily allowances of iodine, can induce hyperthyroidism.

Hot nodules

Thyroid nodules are tumor-like growths that can develop within the thyroid gland. Most of these nodules do not affect thyroid hormone levels but a fraction of them can be presented as “hot nodules”. These hot nodules have the ability to mimic the thyroid gland tissue which will absorb the iodine coming into the body, resulting in the production of thyroid hormones. Additional thyroid hormone production causes the levels to become abnormally high.

Up next will be the effects of Hyperthyroidism. 

References
The Best Darn Hyperthyroidism Book!: Studies on the Overactive Thyroid Gland
 By James M. Lowrance
Thyroid For Dummies, 2nd Edition
 By Alan L. Rubin, MD
http://www.medicinenet.com/hyperthyroidism/page4.htm#what_causes_hyperthyroidism
http://www.endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/Hyperthyroidism/#symptoms

Biochemistry of Hyperthyroidism

  Hello everyone, we're back! So today we'll be talking about the biochemistry of the hyperthyroidism. So, as you guys know, hyperthyroidism is the mass production of thyroid hormones from the thymus. But what are the common thyroid hormones that get mass produced?

1. Thyroxine (T4)

2. Tri-iodothyronine (T3)

- How are these hormones produced?

Central production : T3 & T4 formed in the cells

                             Peripheral production: Protease digest thyroglobulin to produce T3& T4

These hormones are essential for food breakdown and converting it to chemical energy for our body to function normally. However, with the increase production of these thyroid hormones, cells that normally take in a certain amount of thyroid hormones will increase their intake of thyroid hormones, thus increasing cellular activities and metabolism and causing it to speed up unlike normal cellular rate. 

Next will be telling you what are the causes of Hyperthyroidism so do stay tune to our next post!

Joanne :D

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyroid_hormone
http://www.endocrineweb.com/endocrinology/overview-thyroid
http://edusanjalbiochemist.blogspot.sg/2012/12/hyperthyroidism-causes-and-symptoms.html
http://www.endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/Hyperthyroidism/
http://www.iasj.net/iasj?func=fulltext&aId=34584