How Pregnancy Affects the Thyroid Gland

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A normal pregnancy causes substantial changes in the thyroid gland interfering with thyroid hormone production. Pregnancy places an increased pressure and demand on the thyroid gland.

In pregnancy, certain hormones and estrogen are produced at higher levels than normal. This will in turn cause an increase in the thyroid hormone levels in the blood. Estrogen on the other hand increases the production of thyroid-binding globulin - the protein responsible for transportation of thyroid hormone in the blood.

These hormone changes and variations do make it thyroid function tests harder to interpret if due to pregnancy hormones or if there is a true thyroid disorder.

As thyroid hormones are critical in baby's brain and nervous system development, pregnant women need more iodine. They need at least 250 mcg per day as there is not enough iodine in prenatal vitamins.

In persons without previous thyroid problems, pregnancy may or may not result in a full-blown thyroid disease. But in persons with previous thyroid problems, this extra demand of pregnancy on the thyroid gland may cause a more serious clinical disease and will need extra care by the physician.

Hyperthyroidism in Pregnancy

Hyperthyroidism diagnosis in pregnancy can be quite difficult as there are alterations in the hormones commonly used for diagnosis. The symptoms are just the same with a person who has hyperthyroidism but is not pregnant. There will be fatigue and hair falling out. In pregnant persons, normal pregnancy weight gain will be more difficult.

The most common result of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy is Grave's disease. It is an autoimmune disease that causes too much production of thyroid hormones.

Here are some of the consequences related to hyperthyroidism in pregnancy:

Hyperemesis gravidarum - severe nausea and vomitingMiscarriage or spontaneous abortionPreterm labor/Premature birthLow birth weight babiesStillbirthsPreeclampsiaCongestive heart failureThyroid storm

Mild cases do not require treatment. However, more severe cases might need treatment with propylthiouracil or methimazole.

Hypothyroidism in Pregnancy

The most common cause of hypothyroidism in pregnancy is Hashimoto's disease. Similar with Grave's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis alters the hormone production.

Hypothyroidism in pregnancy could be due to an existing undiagnosed thyroid disorder or hyperthyroidism treatment resulting in prior treatment of removal of the thyroid gland. Symptoms could be extreme fatigue, muscle cramps, constipation, and memory problems.

Here are some of the consequences related to hypothyroidism in pregnancy:

Congestive heart failurePreeclampsiaMiscarriageLow birth weightStillbirthsAnemia

Hypothyroidism treatment in pregnancy is usually through intake of a synthetic thyroxine. Thyroid medications are known to be safe for use during pregnancy.

Dr. Jonathan Berns, D.C. helps people everyday in the Tampa, Florida area overcome the very misunderstood and often mistreated conditions caused from dysfunctional thyroids. Visit Tampa Thyroid Program at Integrative Physical Medicine of Tampa to learn more about thyroid management.

View the original article here

How Hyperthyroidism Affects the Body

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The Importance of Thyroid Gland

The thyroid gland is directly related to our body's metabolism. The hormones the thyroid gland secretes are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These hormones are responsible for controlling the pace of how each body cell uses energy, a process more known as metabolism.

If the thyroid gland produces low hormones like in the case of hypothyroidism, the metabolism will be slower than usual causing weight gain. Whereas if it produces too much thyroid hormones as such in the case of hyperthyroidism, there will be an increase in metabolism causing weight loss.

What Hyperthyroidism is

This is a condition also known as hyperactive thyroid. From the word itself, hyper meaning over or too much, this condition means there is production of too much thyroid hormones in the body. This usually happens when there is already too much thyroid hormones circulating in the blood causing thyrotoxicosis.

Thyrotoxicosis then leads to hyperthyroidism. The two should not be mistaken to be the same. Thyrotoxicosis could be a result of plain inflammation of the thyroid gland causing release or the hormones or too much intake of exogenous thyroid hormone.

What Causes Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism can be that the whole gland is producing too much hormones or there is only a single nodule producing more than enough hormones. When this happens, the single nodule is called "hot nodule".

Here are some of the usual causes of hyperthyroidism:

Too much iodine intakeGraves' disease - An autoimmune disease that is known to be the most common culprit in hyperthyroidism.Thyroiditis - Thyroid gland inflammation from viral infections or other auto-immune disease such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis or Hashimoto's disease. This can also be from a more subacute form called DeQuervain's thyroiditis.Noncancerous growths of thyroid or pituitary glandToxic thyroid adenomaToxic multinodular goiterPostpartum thyroiditis - This has several phases. The hyperthyroidism phase usually resolves on its own.

What the Effects of Hyperthyroidism are

Hyperthyroidism can either be symptomatic or asymptomatic. It can be acute or chronic depending on the length the thyroid gland has been producing more than normal amounts of the hormones. The symptoms usually begin slowly and are not noticeable as can be largely attributed to stress only. As time goes by that this is undetected, the symptoms will become more pronounced.

Here are some of the symptoms or effects of hyperthyroidism:

Nervousness and anxietyDifficulty concentratingWeight loss despite an increased appetiteIrritabilityIncreased perspirationGoiter - A visible enlargement of the thyroid gland in the neckExophthalmos - protruding eyesMuscle weakness more so in the upper arms and thighsMenstrual cycle variations - lightening of menstrual flow and less frequent periods

Dr. Jonathan Berns, D.C. helps people everyday in the Tampa, Florida area overcome the very misunderstood and often mistreated conditions caused from dysfunctional thyroids. Visit Tampa Thyroid Program at Integrative Physical Medicine of Tampa to learn more about thyroid management.

View the original article here