With the accelerated pace of modern life, people are under more and more mental stress, plus irregular work and rest, and inattentive diet, there are more and more people suffering from hyperthyroidism, even celebrities are also deeply troubled. In addition, former U.S. President George Bush Sr. and his wife were both hyperthyroid patients.
About hyperthyroidism
According to the director, the thyroid gland is a very important endocrine gland in the body, located in the neck under the thyroid cartilage, on both sides of the trachea. Hyperthyroidism is the abbreviation of hyperthyroidism, which is a group of common endocrine diseases caused by excessive synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormones from various causes.
The main clinical manifestations of hyperthyroidism include hyperphagia, lethargy, fear of heat, excessive sweating and other hypermetabolic syndromes, increased neuropsychiatric excitability, panic attacks, hand tremors and irritability, as well as enlargement of the thyroid gland to varying degrees, and some patients may develop symptoms such as proptosis of the eyes and edema of the skin in front of the shins.
The most common form of hyperthyroidism in clinical practice is called toxic diffuse goiter, also known as Graves’ disease. The occurrence of hyperthyroidism is often caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors mainly refer to the genetic inheritance of hyperthyroidism, so it is common to see mother and daughter or mother and son suffering from hyperthyroidism together in clinical practice. Environmental factors mainly refer to various triggers, for example, various mental stimuli including excessive sadness, anger, shock, fear, etc., which cause dysfunction of the nervous system, especially the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis, are important triggers for hyperthyroidism, in addition, the triggering of hyperthyroidism is also closely related to autoimmune dysfunction and infections.
1.Infection: such as cold, tonsillitis, pneumonia, etc.
2, trauma: such as car accidents, trauma, etc.
3, mental stimulation: such as mental tension, anxiety, etc.
4.Overexertion: such as overexertion, etc.
5.Pregnancy: Early pregnancy may induce or aggravate hyperthyroidism.
6. Excessive iodine intake: such as excessive consumption of seafood such as kelp and nori.
Why are there more women with hyperthyroidism?
The incidence of hyperthyroidism is increasing year by year, and 80% of the patients are young and middle-aged women. According to Director Li, this is related to the characteristics of women’s own sex hormone changes and the dual pressure of work and life. This is because when they are under great work and life stress, mental stimulation and other triggers, women are more likely than men to have abnormal autoimmune regulation, which leads to excessive secretion of thyroid hormones and hyperthyroidism.
Women with hyperthyroidism may become more sensitive and suspicious, and their mental state may cause insomnia due to excessive arousal and overreaction to external stimuli, which may even lead to personality changes and serious disruption of normal life. Therefore, for professional women with hyperthyroidism who pursue perfection in everything and are dedicated to their work, improving psychological quality can help prevent the occurrence of hyperthyroidism and treat things around them optimistically with a normal mind.
In addition, if you do not know enough about hyperthyroidism, it is often easy to confuse it with female menopausal symptoms, so that you do not pay special attention to it. If you do not treat it in time, the symptoms of hyperthyroidism will suddenly aggravate and lead to the development of a life-threatening condition, namely hyperthyroidism crisis, which mainly manifests as high fever, profuse sweating, extreme tachycardia, vomiting, diarrhea, irritability, and in severe cases, coma, which can If not rescued in time, it can lead to death.
Treatment of hyperthyroidism varies from person to person
According to Director Li, the current treatment methods for hyperthyroidism mainly include antithyroid drugs, isotope iodine therapy (radioactive 131 iodine therapy) and surgery. These three methods have been clinically applied for more than 50 years and have reliable efficacy, but the appropriate treatment method should be adopted according to the patient’s specific situation.
Anti-thyroid drugs
Generally, most patients with hyperthyroidism can be controlled by antithyroid drugs, so they can be the first choice of treatment for most patients with hyperthyroidism. The commonly used antithyroid drugs include methylthioxypyrimethamine and propylthioxypyrimethamine in the thiourea group, and methimazole and carbimazole in the imidazole group, among which propylthioxypyrimethamine and methimazole are most commonly used.
Anti-thyroid drugs are mainly suitable for patients with mild to moderate enlargement of the thyroid gland; adolescents, children and elderly patients under 20 years of age; pregnant women; post-operative recurrence of thyroid gland and unsuitable for isotope iodine treatment; preparation for surgical treatment; adjuvant isotope iodine treatment; and patients with severe hyperthyroidism and proptosis.
The main disadvantage of antithyroid drugs is the long duration of treatment, usually 1-2 years, and the high relapse rate after discontinuation of the drugs. If patients with hyperthyroidism relapse after discontinuation of the drugs, it usually occurs within one year after discontinuation of the drugs.
Isotope iodine therapy
The thyroid gland has a high capacity for iodine uptake and concentration. The ionizing radiation of beta rays emitted during the decay of 131 iodine can destroy the thyroid follicular epithelium and reduce the production and secretion of thyroid hormones, and also inhibit the production of autoantibodies in the thyroid gland to achieve therapeutic purposes.
It is mainly suitable for the following types of patients: patients with moderately enlarged thyroid gland and above 30 years of age; patients with recurrent hyperthyroidism after subtotal thyroidectomy; patients who are allergic to antithyroid medications or who cannot adhere to long-term medications; patients with other diseases, such as liver, heart and kidney diseases, who are not suitable for surgical treatment; and patients with hyperthyroidism with high functional nodules.
Although radioactive 131 iodine treatment is effective, its disadvantage is that it is difficult to accurately calculate the dose to be taken in order to restore the thyroid function to the right level, and some hyperthyroid patients are not able to grasp the dose of isotope treatment, which often causes “hypothyroidism” after over-treatment.
Surgical treatment
Subtotal thyroidectomy is one of the most effective treatments for hyperthyroidism and can cure most patients.
It is mainly suitable for the following types of patients: patients who have failed to achieve good results with medication, especially those who have been on medication for more than 2 years, patients with obvious enlargement of the thyroid gland, especially those with nodules or symptoms of pressure, patients who have relapsed hyperthyroidism after medication and cannot adhere to the medication, and patients with post-thoracic goiter with hyperthyroidism.
It is worth noting that patients with hyperthyroidism must take anti-thyroid drugs to control their condition before surgery, so that their heart rate and serum thyroid hormone levels basically return to normal before surgery, otherwise surgery may induce hyperthyroid crisis.
The director emphasized that each of the three treatment methods for hyperthyroidism has its own scope of application and its own advantages and disadvantages. They should introduce the advantages and disadvantages of various treatment methods to the hyperthyroidism patient, and then choose the most suitable and effective treatment plan for the patient after fully communicating with the patient to understand the specific situation.
Hyperthyroidism patients should pay attention to physical and mental balance
The director emphasized that the occurrence of hyperthyroidism is closely related to a person’s mental condition and living habits. Therefore, in addition to receiving medication and other means, patients should also pay attention to mental recuperation, work and rest, and diet in order to help them recover from hyperthyroidism as soon as possible.
Patients with hyperthyroidism tend to have mental allergies and are easily agitated or fearful when slightly stimulated, which may trigger or aggravate the disease. Therefore, mental health care should be an important part of the whole treatment process. We should avoid stimulating words, movements and expressions for hyperthyroidism patients, and be caring, considerate and understanding, so that they are not mentally stimulated in any way, otherwise the recovery effect will be affected. Patients themselves should improve their self-control, cultivate their bodies, keep their moods relaxed and avoid mood swings. Pay attention to the regularity of life, do not stay up late, maintain sufficient sleep, if there is insomnia should promptly use a variety of methods, including drugs, food for self-regulation.
Patients should also develop appropriate dietary habits: 1.
1, eat less and more meals, not overeating. Avoid spicy, tobacco and alcohol.
2. Replenish sufficient water, avoid coffee, strong tea and other excitatory drinks.
3, appropriate control of high-fiber foods, especially when diarrhea.
4. Pay attention to the reasonable combination of nutrients.
5. Eat foods rich in potassium and calcium.
6. Do not eat foods with high iodine content such as seaweed, sea fish and sea jelly skin.
7. Use non-iodized salt, or use iodized salt after heating (because iodized salt volatilizes easily after being heated).
8. Properly control your diet to avoid sudden weight gain after the disease is reduced.
How to treat the hereditary nature of hyperthyroidism?
Many people with hyperthyroidism have been suffering from the disease for a long time and have lost their peaceful life, however, the last thing they want is for the same to happen to their children. So, is hyperthyroidism hereditary? This is a special concern for every hyperthyroidism patient, especially for female hyperthyroidism patients of childbearing age.
For this concern, Director Li reminded female patients that hyperthyroidism has a negative impact on the growth and development of the fetus in the womb due to the high metabolism and high energy consumption after pregnancy, which may cause premature birth and miscarriage, etc. Therefore, if hyperthyroidism is in the active stage of the disease or accompanied by serious complications, pregnancy should not be considered for the time being. When the symptoms of hyperthyroidism are relieved and the dosage of medication is reduced or not required, pregnancy can be considered. Pregnant women with hyperthyroidism should communicate with their primary care physicians before and after pregnancy to change their medication and adjust the dosage under the guidance of the physicians, because the treatment of hyperthyroidism in pregnant women is different from that of common hyperthyroidism, so pregnant women with hyperthyroidism must use their medication under the guidance of endocrinologists in order to benefit the health of the pregnant women and the fetus.
In addition, hyperthyroidism does have a certain relationship with heredity. Many clinical patients with hyperthyroidism are familial, for example, the children of parents with hyperthyroidism have a higher chance of developing hyperthyroidism than other normal people. Although hyperthyroidism has a certain genetic predisposition, it is only one aspect of the occurrence of hyperthyroidism. In addition to genetic susceptibility factors, hyperthyroidism can only develop when environmental factors are involved. Director Li gave an image example, hyperthyroidism is like a loaded pistol, if you don’t pull the trigger, the bullet will not be fired, environmental factors are like the trigger. Therefore, the key for children of hyperthyroidism patients to prevent the occurrence of hyperthyroidism also lies in their personal psychological quality and attitude towards the world, because bad emotions lightly affect appetite and sleep, and heavily affect immune function and physical health.
Therefore, a good outlook on life is a good medicine for the prevention of hyperthyroidism. People should maintain an optimistic and open-minded attitude towards things around them, not to take the bull by the horns in the face of setbacks and failures, and to face life with a normal heart that is “unperturbed by changes”. Try to maintain a relaxed working environment, maintain a harmonious family life, decompress yourself often, do more outdoor sports, travel to the mountains and relax.