Hyperthyroidism reduces the quality of life of patients, and their ability to work and study is significantly reduced. Many patients cannot work normally and students are forced to leave school. If patients, especially young women, have protruding eyes and an obviously enlarged thyroid gland, it can affect their appearance and cause serious mental trauma. Long-term untreated hyperthyroidism can cause serious complications such as heart disease and jaundice, which may endanger life and even sudden death. Therefore, it is important for patients to control hyperthyroidism as soon as possible. The three main methods of treating hyperthyroidism are anti-thyroid drugs, surgery and iodine-131. All three methods have been clinically used for more than 50 years and have a credible scientific basis. They each have their own scope of application and advantages and disadvantages. Based on the results of evidence-based medical research, physicians should present their advantages and disadvantages to patients and seek consensus on the most appropriate treatment for the patient. Antithyroid drugs The most commonly used are methimazole (also known as tapazole) and propylthioxypyrimethamine. These two drugs are effective, safe, non-invasive, economical, convenient, and easily available for the treatment of hyperthyroidism and can be used in children, adults, elderly patients, and pregnant or breastfeeding patients. They do not aggravate hyperthyroid eye disease, do not cause permanent hypothyroidism (hypothyroidism), and both are effective in controlling hyperthyroidism. Anti-thyroid drugs can bring remission to 40% to 60% of hyperthyroid patients. The main disadvantages are: ① Relapse rate is as high as 60% to 80%. Side effects include drug rash, leukopenia, liver damage, and granulocyte deficiency, with an incidence of 5% to 30%. Severe side effects can cause death of the patient, and indicators such as blood image and liver function need to be monitored during the treatment. ③An overdose of anti-thyroid drugs can cause hypothyroidism. The course of treatment is long, requiring 1.5 to 2 years of treatment, and the disease is prone to recurrence during drug reduction. The advantage is that the patient’s thyroid function will return to normal quickly after surgery, with remarkable results and a cure rate of 70% to 90%. The recurrence rate of postoperative hyperthyroidism is 10% to 40%, and the incidence of hypothyroidism is 5% to 60%. Iodine-131 treatment After entering the body, most of the iodine-131 stays in the thyroid gland. It has a strong ionizing effect on the tissue, just like a scalpel, and can “remove” the hyperfunctional thyroid tissue and cure hyperthyroidism. For this reason, Iodine-131 treatment for hyperthyroidism has been compared to “bloodless surgery”, and its effectiveness is directly related to the experience of the physician. Iodine-131 therapy is characterized by: ①Simple, safe, low cost and high benefit. Patients only need to take one iodine-131-containing solution or capsule, and more than 90% of patients are cured within 3-6 months, with an overall efficiency of more than 95% and a recurrence rate of less than 5%. ②It does not increase the incidence of cancer such as thyroid cancer and leukemia in patients; it does not affect the fertility of patients and does not increase genetic damage. ③Iodine-131 treatment is the best choice for patients with refractory severe hyperthyroidism who cannot be treated with anti-thyroid drugs or surgery, and it is even the only life-saving measure for some critically ill patients. ④ Iodine-131 treatment for hyperthyroidism has good effect on mild to moderate hyperthyroidism proptosis, and it is also effective for severe hyperthyroidism proptosis. The main disadvantage of iodine-131 treatment for hyperthyroidism is that it cannot avoid the complication hypothyroidism. The incidence of hypothyroidism in China is about 10% in the early stage and up to 60% in the late stage. After hypothyroidism is treated with thyroxine replacement therapy, thyroid function can be restored to normal, and patients can live, work and study normally, and women of childbearing age can have normal pregnancy and delivery. Some patients with hyperthyroidism who need to be treated with iodine-131 do not use iodine-131 treatment because they are concerned about hypothyroidism, resulting in long-term failure to heal, or combined atrial fibrillation, or cerebral infarction and hemiplegia, or even sudden death due to hyperthyroid heart disease (sudden death), which is really a misunderstanding caused by the bitter fruit. It should be noted that before treatment with iodine-131 examination, some preparations must be made, including: not to eat food containing iodine for half a month, especially seafood, such as seaweed, nori, shrimp and seafood pasta, etc., and avoid using iodine-containing drugs, such as amiodarone, huasu tablets, iodine, etc.; stop using anti-thyroid drugs for more than 3 days according to the degree of hyperthyroidism, and stop using iodine-containing traditional Chinese medicine for more than 1 month; if symptoms such as heartburn are obvious, you can Stop using sedative and sleeping drugs 1 week before iodine-131 examination.