Thyroid Gland Problems and Symptoms

Thyroid gland produces thyroid hormones which play very important role in numerous processes within the body and are crucial for over all-health and well being. Thyroid gland in majority of people obtains all necessary nutrients among which is the most important iodine from proper diet. However, sometimes production of thyroid hormone is disturbed by stress, environmental impacts such as exposure to harmful chemicals, pesticides, etc. what results over- or under-activity of thyroid gland. Both over- and under-activity of thyroid gland greatly impact variety of bodily functions and causes variety of health problems as well as diseases. For that reason it is highly important to maintain thyroid gland healthy and to act immediately when having symptoms of thyroid under- or over-activity.

If thyroid gland is over-active and secretes too much of thyroid hormones all metabolic processes speed up what results increased heart beat, unexplained weight loss, increased sensitivity to heat and light, hair loss, sweating, hand tremor, irritability, insomnia, protruding eyes and goiter. Over-active thyroid gland is a disease known as hyperthyroidism and is most frequently (over 50% of all patients) caused Grave's disease, an autoimmune disease which most often affects women - in compare to men about 5:1 .

If thyroid gland produces too little thyroid hormones it is under-active, while the condition is referred as hypothyroidism. Under-activity of thyroid gland is most often caused by insufficient amount of iodine but hypothyroidism can also occur in people who had been treated for hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism is characterized by slowing down the metabolic processes, while most common symptoms of hypothyroids are overweight, myxoedema, dry skin and hair, low heart beat rate, cold intolerance, constipation, tiredness, depression, goiter, menstrual irregularities in women, muscle cramps and join pain. Hypothyroidism is especially serious for pregnant women because inadequate thyroid hormone production can cause irreparable damage to the brain development of the fetus and consequently causing cretinism.