There are three types of treatment for hyperthyroidism: oral anti-thyroid medication, isotope therapy and surgery. Iodine 131 therapy, also known as isotope therapy, has been used to treat hyperthyroidism for more than half a century. Since the first case of hyperthyroidism was treated with this method in 1942, more than 3 million hyperthyroid patients have been treated with iodine 131 worldwide, and more than 300,000 hyperthyroid patients have been treated with iodine 131 in China. Iodine 131 is currently the ideal treatment for hyperthyroidism. Iodine is the raw material for the synthesis of thyroid hormone in the human body. Iodine in food is absorbed by the intestine and enters the bloodstream, and when it passes through the thyroid gland, almost all of it is taken up by the thyroid gland, and the rest is excreted with urine and feces. In hyperthyroidism, the thyroid gland is enlarged and the local blood flow is very rich. At this time, the thyroid gland’s ability to take in iodine and use it to synthesize thyroid hormones is hyperactive, so when a hyperthyroid patient takes iodine 131 orally, his thyroid gland will quickly take in iodine 131 into the thyroid cells, and iodine 131 can emit beta radiation, which has a range of only 2 mm. This is equivalent to removing part of the thyroid tissue without surgery. With such a good treatment for hyperthyroidism, surgery is now rarely used to treat hyperthyroidism unless there are clear indications for surgery. What are the advantages of iodine 131 treatment over oral antithyroid medication? First, the cure rate is high. The cure rate of hyperthyroidism treated with iodine 131 is over 85%, while the cure rate of oral antithyroid drug treatment is only 60%. Second, the relapse rate is low. Iodine 131 treatment for hyperthyroidism rarely results in relapse, while the relapse rate after oral antithyroid medication is as high as 30%-40%. Third, the cure is fast. Iodine 131 treatment usually takes effect from half a month to one month, with obvious improvement in three months and cure in half a year, while oral antithyroid drug treatment often takes 2 years or more. Fourth, the treatment is convenient, a dose of medication, after treatment more do not need to take medication again; while oral anti-thyroid drug treatment to regular review. Fifth, the cost of treatment is low, with a single investment. In addition, iodine 131 treatment is also very safe, will not increase the incidence of tumors and will not affect reproductive function. So what are the indications and contraindications of iodine 131 therapy? The indications for iodine 131 therapy have been expanded in recent years, except for absolute contraindications. The absolute contraindications include pregnancy and lactating women, acute myocardial infarction, and severe renal dysfunction. Patients with liver impairment, leukopenia, relapse after anti-thyroid medication, relapse after surgery, and allergy to medication are particularly suitable for this treatment. Of course, iodine 131 treatment for hyperthyroidism has the disadvantage that fewer patients will develop hypothyroidism or hypothyroidism. It is thought that the occurrence of hypothyroidism after iodine 131 treatment is related to autoimmunity and excessive dosing. Therefore, patients who want to undergo this treatment should choose a regular hospital and have their thyroid gland iodine uptake rate and thyroid scan checked before treatment in order to accurately calculate the dose of medication to cure hyperthyroidism and minimize the incidence of hypothyroidism. In the past three years, the city hospital has successfully cured nearly 1,000 people with iodine 131, with a cure rate of 85% or more, and the incidence of hypothyroidism in the first year is less than 10%. Of course, the occurrence of hypothyroidism is not terrible, and the occurrence of hypothyroidism only requires long-term thyroid hormone replacement therapy, which is not harmful to replace normal, and the price of this drug is extremely cheap.