Why does hyperthyroidism “favor” women? Hyperthyroidism is a common endocrine disease second only to diabetes. The prevalence of hyperthyroidism has increased from 1% to 2% 10 years ago, and 80% of the patients are young and middle-aged women. The risk of hyperthyroidism and its causes Hyperthyroidism is a common endocrine disease caused by an increase in metabolic rate due to excessive secretion of thyroxine by the thyroid gland. Currently, the ratio of male to female hyperthyroidism is 1:6. Hyperthyroidism has a great impact on patients, causing insomnia and irritability, affecting daily life and interpersonal relationships. Severe hyperthyroidism can also lead to cardiovascular disease, liver dysfunction, and muscle weakness. People often confuse “big neck disease” with hyperthyroidism, and many people suffering from hyperthyroidism think they are iodine deficient, which is actually a misconception. The former is caused by insufficient secretion of thyroid hormones due to iodine deficiency, which mainly occurs in mountainous areas in the interior where there is a lack of iodine, while hyperthyroidism is caused by excessive secretion of thyroid hormones in the body, iodine will stimulate the secretion of thyroxine, and suffering from this disease and then iodine supplementation is like adding insult to injury. Young and middle-aged women are susceptible to hyperthyroidism, which may be related to physiological structure, neurological type and mental factors. The cause of hyperthyroidism is related to congenital factors, i.e. heredity, and environmental and food factors. Some universities have found that many freshmen girls suffer from hyperthyroidism during their physical examinations, which may be triggered by excessive mental stress before the college entrance exams. The secretion of thyroxine is also strong in adolescent girls due to their endocrine activity, which can easily trigger hyperthyroidism when they encounter greater mental stress. Young working women are also a favorite group of hyperthyroidism, because of their work, emotional stress and long-term high pressure. Hyperthyroidism is easily distinguished from other diseases. Typical hyperthyroidism is easily distinguished, but early and mild hyperthyroidism is not always obvious and can be confused with heart disease and menopausal syndrome. Because hyperthyroidism is associated with panic attacks and heart rhythm disturbances, many patients continue to seek cardiology care after having the disease, leading to misdiagnosis. Since the symptoms of hyperthyroidism have many similarities with menopausal syndrome in women, middle-aged women after the age of 40 should pay attention to distinguish between these two diseases. 1. Hyperthyroidism is characterized by hypersensitivity, agitation and impatience. Menopause is characterized by irritability, depression, lack of concentration and memory loss. 2. Hyperthyroidism is characterized by fear of heat, excessive sweating, palpitations, shortness of breath, which is significantly aggravated by slight activity and accompanied by tachycardia, etc. Menopause is characterized by hot flashes, excessive sweating, chest tightness, shortness of breath, panic attacks, and increased blood pressure. 3. Women with hyperthyroidism may experience reduced menstruation, prolonged cycles or even amenorrhea. Menopausal patients show menstrual disorders, some have reduced menstrual volume, shortened time and prolonged cycles until complete menopause: others have shortened menstrual intervals, increased menstrual volume and irregular vaginal bleeding until menopause. 4. Patients with hyperthyroidism have protruding eyes, hyperphagia, enlarged thyroid gland, increased frequency of stool, emaciation, strong pulse, increased pulse pressure, and tremor in both hands and tongue. Menopausal syndrome is manifested by back pain, knee pain, frequent urination or urinary incontinence, shrinkage of uterus, fallopian tubes and ovarian tissues, and loss of dry skin and elasticity. Treatment of hyperthyroidism After suspecting that you are suffering from this disease, you must visit a hospital to confirm the diagnosis and under the guidance of a doctor. At present, the main clinical treatments for hyperthyroidism are internal medicine, 131 iodine, surgery and herbal medicine. To treat hyperthyroidism, the ability to choose the right treatment method is crucial to the prognosis. What to pay attention to if you have hyperthyroidism Because hyperthyroidism causes special physiological and psychological changes in patients, in daily life, patients should pay attention to the following aspects Regularity in daily life and combination of work and rest Although patients eat and drink a lot, their digestion and absorption functions are poor and they are weak. Generally speaking, the lighter patients should not stay up late, eat excessively and engage in strenuous activities such as long-distance running, swimming and mountain climbing; the more serious patients should rest in bed or even rest in bed. In clinical practice, there are often patients with hyperthyroidism whose condition has worsened or recurred after being cured, and the reason for this is that patients often have bad stimuli before aggravating their condition. For example, they quarrel with colleagues and family members over trivial matters, and cannot control themselves. Therefore, patients should learn to control their emotions. Staying optimistic is a good medicine. Patients with hyperthyroidism are mostly energetic, professional women who pursue perfection in everything and work hard, as well as female high school students who are facing high school entrance exams. Hyperthyroidism can make people sensitive, and their mental state can lead to insomnia due to excessive arousal, overreaction to external stimuli, and even personality changes. Therefore, it is important to maintain a normal state of mind in order to prevent hyperthyroidism. Although hyperthyroidism has a certain genetic tendency, it is only a predisposing factor. The key lies in the psychological quality and attitude of the individual, because bad emotions may affect appetite and sleep, or immune function and physical health. Therefore, a good outlook on life is a good medicine for the prevention of hyperthyroidism. We should maintain an optimistic and open-minded attitude towards things around us, do not take the bull by the horns in the face of setbacks and failures, and face life with a normal heart that is “unperturbed by changes”. In addition, busy women should try to maintain a relaxed work environment, maintain the harmony of family life, pay attention to the regularity of life, do not stay up late. Try to de-stress yourself, do more outdoor sports, play in the mountains and relax your body and mind. Patients who eat iodine-containing foods are likely to have their thyroid gland harden, making it more difficult for the enlarged thyroid gland to shrink and delaying the healing process. Therefore, hyperthyroidism patients should not eat more iodine-rich foods such as sea fish and kelp. At the same time, patients with hyperthyroid heart disease should avoid stimulating foods such as raw onion, raw garlic, chili and wine. Pre-emergent Infections Hyperthyroid patients have low total white blood cell count and low granulocytes, which can easily lead to infections. If infection occurs, it may cause the relapse or aggravation of the already controlled hyperthyroidism. Once the signs of infection are detected, it should be controlled early.