While thyroid disease may seem unfamiliar to the average person, the term “gall bladder” may ring a bell, which is actually a thyroid disorder.
So what kind of organ is the thyroid gland, what are the symptoms if it is diseased, and how do you seek medical help if there is a thyroid abnormality?
The thyroid gland is the largest endocrine gland in our body. The thyroid hormones secreted by the thyroid gland play an indispensable role from the time we are in our mother’s body until we grow, develop, live a normal life as an independent individual and nurture a new life. Specifically, it has the following main roles.
1. In the mother’s body, normal thyroid hormone levels are crucial to the physical and intellectual development of the fetus. If the mother’s thyroid hormone levels are low, the normal growth and development of the fetus will be seriously affected, which may lead to fetal growth arrest and miscarriage in early pregnancy, intrauterine distress and obstructed labor in the middle and late pregnancy, and the newborn born with the risk of developing cretinism, which means the child may The newborns born have the risk of cretinism, which means that the children may have abnormalities such as short stature and mental retardation.
2. In normal people, thyroid hormones can maintain our normal heat production and heat dissipation balance, the normal metabolism and balance of our three major nutrients including carbohydrates, fats and proteins, our normal responsiveness to the outside world, and our ability to nurture the next generation. If an individual’s thyroid hormone level is insufficient, there may be overall blunting and lack of vitality changes such as fear of cold, laziness, unresponsiveness to the outside world, loss of appetite, constipation, swelling, and reduced sexual ability, etc. In the long run, serious abnormalities in the function of multiple organs such as heart, liver, and kidneys may occur, and may even be life-threatening; while excessive thyroid hormone levels may result in fear of heat, excessive sweating, hyperphagia, irritability If thyroid hormone levels are too high, there will be changes of overall hyperactivity and overactivity such as fear of heat, excessive sweating, hyperphagia, irritability, insomnia, thinness, panic, hand trembling, etc. In the long run, in addition to easy fatigue and weakness, there will also be serious effects on important organs such as the heart and liver, and life-threatening conditions may also occur.
Since thyroid hormone has such an important role, which part of the body is it and how can we detect its abnormalities in our daily life? In layman’s terms, the thyroid gland is located directly in front of our neck, about two fingers above the visible fossa on our sternum, below the male laryngeal node, and is shaped like the Chinese character “A”, hence the name “thyroid”. It also resembles a butterfly that rests on the front of our neck and is divided into two wings and a body part. The normal thyroid gland has the characteristic that it is not normally visible from the outside, but if it is enlarged or has long nodules (uneven enlargement), it will be visible and can be found to move up and down with swallowing movements.
So, is it true that if we find that this butterfly in front of the neck can be seen, or if there is a change in the shape of the butterfly, we must have abnormal thyroid hormone levels as mentioned above? Or if we find that we have some symptoms or feelings of excessive apathy or hyperexcitability as mentioned above, does it necessarily mean that there is a problem with this butterfly?
There is no necessary connection between abnormal thyroid morphology and thyroid function. The two changes can occur simultaneously or independently. In other words, when we find abnormal butterfly morphology in front of the neck, it does not necessarily mean that the level of thyroid hormones will be abnormal, i.e. abnormal thyroid function; and abnormal thyroid function does not necessarily mean that there will be changes in the butterfly in front of the neck. Therefore, the detection of thyroid disease should be detected and diagnosed from two aspects: abnormal thyroid shape and abnormal thyroid hormone level, respectively.
First, there are several possible reasons for changes in the shape of the anterior cervical butterfly (mainly enlargement).
1. Physiological goiter.
The butterfly in front of the neck can be seen clearly, and will move up and down with swallowing, but check thyroid hormone levels are normal, ultrasound can not see the thyroid gland has a mass, most of these are physiological, most commonly in the development of adolescents, therefore, it is called adolescent goiter, generally do not need treatment, there is no harm, but to regularly observe the function of the thyroid, some people may Some people may have this condition for life;
2. Endemic goiter.
The butterfly can be seen and can also move up and down with swallowing, the level of thyroid hormone is normal, sometimes it can be felt or an uneven mass can be seen on ultrasound, this condition is mostly seen in iodine deficient areas in the past like Huanglong in our province, it is related to iodine deficiency, the thyroid gland can shrink after iodine supplementation, in severe cases, the thyroid gland is so swollen that it needs to be held up, affecting breathing and swallowing, this is also commonly known as In severe cases, the thyroid gland may become so enlarged that it needs to be held in place, affecting breathing and swallowing, which is commonly known as “gall bladder”;
3. Nodular goiter.
The butterfly in front of the neck can be clearly seen, and will move up and down with swallowing, but the butterfly shape may be asymmetrical, feel the surface is not flat, there are “bumps”, ultrasound found one or more “nodules” or even “For people with normal function, the main focus of diagnosis is to exclude malignant diseases of the thyroid gland such as thyroid cancer, while for people with altered thyroid function, the main focus is to correct thyroid function. For people with altered thyroid function, the main focus is on correcting thyroid function;
4. Thyroiditis.
The butterflies in front of the neck can be seen, patients often feel pain in front of the neck, some even have pain in the ears and chin, hard nodules can sometimes be felt on the thyroid gland, symptoms are mostly evident after a cold, the function of the thyroid gland can sometimes show increased levels of thyroid hormones, therefore, some patients may have symptoms such as panic and irritability, which is the thyroid gland “inflammation This is an “inflammation” of the thyroid gland, and treatment is based on anti-inflammation and improvement of symptoms;
5. Hypothyroidism.
In addition to butterflies can be seen, can also move up and down with swallowing, the patient’s thyroid hormone levels are low, treatment to supplement the thyroid hormone is the main;
6. Hyperthyroidism.
In addition to the above-mentioned butterfly of the thyroid gland that can be seen in appearance, the most important thing is that the patient has symptoms of elevated thyroid hormone levels such as fear of heat, hand tremors, and easy excitement, and a check of thyroid function also shows elevated thyroid hormone levels. The focus of treatment in this category is to suppress thyroid function and improve symptoms. It is up to the endocrinologist to accurately distinguish the cause of goiter and to choose the correct treatment.
In addition to the above reasons for abnormal thyroid function, there are also some patients who do not see obvious changes in the morphology of the thyroid gland, or some patients with very obvious or even severe symptoms, but the thyroid gland is only a little bit larger, so there is no necessary correlation between goiter and thyroid function. So, does an abnormal thyroid function necessarily mean that the butterfly itself is the only problem with the thyroid gland? The answer is no.
The thyroid, an important endocrine organ, does not exist alone, but is regulated by other endocrine glands, the most important of which are the two organs in our brain: the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus is the supreme commander of most of our endocrine glands. It issues orders to inform the second level commander DD pituitary gland, which then sends the orders to the thyroid gland, which uses the iodine in our food to synthesize thyroid hormones, and the hormones synthesized by the thyroid gland play a role in uploading and regulating the higher level commander. It is through this regulation of downstream stimulus communication and upstream feedback inhibition that the thyroid gland synthesizes and secretes thyroid hormones properly and correctly to function in our body.
Therefore, any abnormality in this regulatory pathway, unrestrained, will result in abnormal thyroid function, that is, abnormal thyroid hormone levels. Therefore, once a patient has the symptoms of excessive apathy or excessive hyperactivity as mentioned earlier, and abnormalities in thyroid function are found, it is important to find the specific site that causes this abnormality, which is what doctors call locating the diagnosis, and only when the right site is found can the correct treatment be chosen. Therefore, if a patient suspects that he or she has a thyroid disorder, he or she should seek professional help from an endocrine metabolic disease specialist.
In practice, the most common cause of abnormal thyroid function that occurs is autoimmune thyroid disease. In layman’s terms, these diseases occur because of abnormalities in our body’s immune function, which plays a role in resisting and removing unfavorable factors such as foreign aggression. The main reason is that the ability to distinguish between the enemy and us becomes poor, and members of our own tissues and organs are attacked as harmful foreign components and want to be removed, thus leading to diseases of the attacked tissues and organs.
Autoimmune thyroid disease is a disease in which the thyroid gland is attacked by its components and causes abnormal thyroid function, which can be hyperfunctional or hypofunctional. The butterfly DD thyroid in the anterior neck can show varying degrees of morphological changes.
In addition to the series of symptoms of hyperexcitability mentioned earlier, people with hyperfunction can often have protruding eyes or changes in vision, and some individuals, especially young men, may also have weakness or even paralysis of the limbs, and once these symptoms appear, they should go to the hospital for timely treatment, which may be life-threatening if delayed. And if hypofunction occurs, the need for thyroid hormone replacement supplementation therapy generally often means that the changes are long-term, even lifelong, so taking the medication must not be stopped without permission, and regular adjustments must be made at an endocrine specialist. For women of childbearing age, treatment in this area should be even more precise because it has an important impact on the success of pregnancy and the normal development of the fetus. Therefore, in addition to routine prenatal checkups, pregnant women with this problem should also go to the endocrinology department for regular treatment and monitoring.
It is generally believed that the occurrence of such changes in thyroid function is related to mood swings, high mental stress, family genetics, and women are more likely to be harassed. Therefore, women who find prenatal butterflies with obvious, abnormal morphology, no or symptoms of excessive excitement or excessive apathy, unexplained weight loss, or weight gain must go to an endocrinology specialist for consultation and treatment as soon as possible.
In short, pay attention to and treat this beautiful butterfly DD thyroid gland in front of our neck, although it is very low-profile and usually does not attract your attention, but if it does, please pay attention to it, because her health means that we can have a healthy and beautiful life.