The thyroid gland is the largest endocrine gland of the body. It is an organ that essentially produces hormone to support the body growth including metabolic system, the heart rhythm stimulating, and body temperature maintaining such as sweat secretion. Moreover, the gland provides holistic protection to the body; for that reason when there is something seemed to be unusual occurs to it, for example, having the thyroid enlarged, such symptom could frantically disturbs the body system later.

What is Hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism or Overactive Thyroid is a condition occurs when the thyroid gland produces loaded hormones, leading to certain body responses such as rapid weight loss, abnormal heart rhythm, moody as well as other affected symptoms. Thyroid disease can be divided into 2 types as follows:

• • Hyperthyroidism

This is a condition of thyroid disease consists of an excessive function and hormone level. The body cell works rapidly considered as an abnormal sign. It has a significant impact on the body which includes unusual weight loss, sweating, exhausted feeling, short time of menstruation, memory loss, restless, unstable concentration, hair loss, irregular heart rhythm, diarrhea, skin discoloration, hand trembling, weak arms or legs, exophthalmos, and enlarged thyroid gland

• • Hypothyroidism

This condition happens due to a decreased functional process of the thyroid gland. Amount of its hormone in the bloodstream is extremely low. As a result, the body cell’s function slowly processes causing several symptoms such as having rapid weight gain, sleepy feeling, hair loss, depression, cramp, constipation, cold feeling, sluggish heart rhythm, eye swelling, body swelling and thyroid gland enlargement.

Thyroid Self Screening

1. 1. Look at a mirror stretch your neck upward, slowly turn left and right in order to detect and observe some abnormalities around the neck.

1. 1. Slowly press both, the index finger and middle finger together on the side of your neck, starting the press on the back area before moving to the front, then press them again from the top part to the bottom. The pressing should be made on both sides by the two fingers in one time.

1. 1. When the lumps are found, try to massage around that area slowly.

1. Once found, go seeing a doctor as soon as possible in order to receive accurate screening and treatment.

Thyroid Disease Treatment

1. 1. Medicine

Patients have to take a medicine in order to stop the body from producing thyroid hormone, thereby symptoms such as trembled pulsation, fatigue, and rapid weight loss can disappear.

1. 1. Iodine-131

Taking iodine-131, an iodine radioactive substance is produced by Nuclear Reactor. When it was kept for long, the substance would start to transform itself into iodine-128 slowly. This process proved that there was a radioactive substance which should be released to destroy bad cells like dysfunctional thyroid gland. For that reason, as soon as it is taken, the gland would be reshaped to become a smaller size than its first time. Consequently, symptoms of the patients then would also be improved gradually.

1. 1. Surgery

Surgery is a traditional treatment method that a doctor performs a surgical process to remove certain parts of the thyroid gland so that it can be smaller.

Hence, the thyroid gland would not be able to produce its hormone as much as before. An approach can improve the symptoms affected by an organ quickly. Surgical treatment is considered as an effective method due to short time providing in the procedure. However, it is quite costly for that reason patients avoid having pain from this operation mostly. Moreover, time spending at a hospital may not be wanted by most of them as well. At the same in the middle of the process, there is also a risk of excessive thyroid hormone leaking. Its severity may cause death to patients, this is why having the operation from specialized doctors is vital. Nowadays, Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Vestibular Approach or TOETVA has become a great treatment approach for patients since it does not cause a large surgical scar, as well as the performing of procedure, that has good efficiency due to an operative location which performed extremely close to the thyroid gland. This is a reason why patients have a low risk of heavy blood loss additionally, recovery time is shorter allowing them to go back home quickly.

For more information, please contact
Diabetes and Endocrine Center
5th Floor, Building 1
Phyathai 1 Hospital
Tel. +662-2014600 Ext. 2257-2258