Hyperthyroidism: Too Much Of A Good Thing

By: Dr. Alan Christianson When someone you know is living with hypothyroidism, it can be tempting to think that if only the doctor would prescribe an extra helping of thyroid hormone, your friend or loved one would feel so much better and would enjoy life more. And in some cases, an extra helping might be in order. In other cases, not so much. Too much thyroid hormone can actually be dangerous, which is why doctors are loathe to bump the levothyroxin dosage up an extra 25 micrograms or so for one of their patients who's still experiencing hypothyroid symptoms. Tests always come first, and there's a good reason for that. Hyperthyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone. It can also be caused by an overdose of thyroid supplement or by ingesting foods that increase thyroid production or that provoke an autoimmune response. How common is it? While less common than its opposite thyroid condition, hyperthyroidism still afflicts around 2 percent of women and 0.2 percent of men, including 3 to 6 million Americans. (1) Who gets it? According to medical statistics, women are 8 to 10 times more likely than men to be diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. And as many as 15% of known cases occur in patients 60 years old or older. (1) Symptoms The most common symptoms of hyperthyroidism include the following: Nervousness or anxiety, irritability Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat, rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) Panic/anxiety attacks (4) In...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news