Hypothyroidism and RAI
When you don’t have a thyroid gland, you can suffer the same symptoms as hypothyroidism and you may need the same medical treatments; but you need to consider a proper diet, as well as your thyroid hormone levels. There are other situations that can cause the functioning of the thyroid gland to be severely underactive, even if the gland isn’t absent; Radioactive Iodine treatment (RAI) for Grave's disease is one of them. RAI therapy is a form of ablation therapy where radioactive Iodine is circulated throughout the body in the bloodstream, causing it to become concentrated in your thyroid gland and destroy its cells.
Radioactive Iodine is mainly absorbed by thyroid cells and hence, has little effect on other cells. RAI is used to treat follicular and papillary thyroid cancer, as well as hyperthyroidism. Before RAI treatment, you will need to prepare yourself by going on a low-iodine diet for two weeks, discontinue thyroid medication, or get a thyrogen injection to raise (Thyroid-stimulating Hormone) TSH levels without stopping thyroid medicine. Depending on age, short-term side effects of RAI include swelling and inflammation of salivary glands, swelling in the neck, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, and dry mouth. Long-term side effects may include irregular menstrual cycles for women, low sperm count in men, reduced levels of blood cells, future leukaemia risk, dry eyes, nausea, as well as changes in taste or smell.
Hashimoto's Disease
Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune condition in which antibodies gradually destroy the thyroid gland's ability to produce hormones. Medications such as lithium used to treat bipolar disorder may affect your ability to produce the thyroid hormone.
Hypothyroidism is a low thyroid hormone-level condition when you have a low-functioning thyroid gland, or when you are born without one. Symptoms are fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, sleep disorders, difficulty concentrating (brain fog), depression, dry skin, muscle cramps, etc.
Hypothyroidism can be treated with adequate thyroid medication, but symptoms cannot be managed by medicine alone. Lifestyle changes such as an adequate amount of sleep, use of moisturizers, and wearing heavy clothes help keep your thyroid in better function. Taking higher doses of medicine than needed may cause more harm than good; when you take high doses of thyroid medicine, it can cause hyperthyroid symptoms such as heat intolerance, nervousness, manic or hyper/hypomanic.
A small percentage are born without a thyroid gland, or with a malformed thyroid (congenital hypothyroidism)—and some people have a condition called toxic nodule goitre, also known as Grave's disease. Grave's disease is a common cause of hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is when too much thyroid hormone is produced by the thyroid gland. Treatment for this is usually removal of the thyroid gland and thyroid nodules. A goitre is an enlarged thyroid gland; it can cause swelling in the neck, difficulty swallowing or breathing, warranting removal of the gland. Removal of the thyroid gland due to cosmetic reasons are very rare.
Thyroid cancer is one of the least deadly cancers with a higher survival rate than most cancers. It's more prevalent among younger people than with other cancers, which appear during the ages of 45 and 54. Women are more susceptible to thyroid cancer than men. Thyroid cancer can come with or without warning signs; some have no symptoms, while others tend to cause pain or an enlarged lymph node. A diagnosis is usually made when a lump or swelling appears on the neck with or without pain, a nodule found during a routine physical examination, or during an ultrasound (US) scan.
Surgery and hormone-replacement medicine are some of the options for thyroid cancer. Increased use of ultrasound has made it easier to detect thyroid nodules than it was possible in the past, making even the smallest nodules visible, causing overdiagnosis. Overdiagnosis tends to be a problem at times resulting in unnecessary thyroid hormone treatment such as hormone medicine or thyroid gland removal, even when there aren't any obvious symptoms.
Hypothyroidism can be treated with adequate thyroid medication, but symptoms cannot be managed by medicine alone. Lifestyle changes such as an adequate amount of sleep, use of moisturizers, and wearing heavy clothes help keep your thyroid in better function. Taking higher doses of medicine than needed may cause more harm than good; when you take high doses of thyroid medicine, it can cause hyperthyroid symptoms such as heat intolerance, nervousness, manic or hyper/hypomanic.
Grave's Disease
A small percentage are born without a thyroid gland, or with a malformed thyroid (congenital hypothyroidism)—and some people have a condition called toxic nodule goitre, also known as Grave's disease. Grave's disease is a common cause of hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is when too much thyroid hormone is produced by the thyroid gland. Treatment for this is usually removal of the thyroid gland and thyroid nodules. A goitre is an enlarged thyroid gland; it can cause swelling in the neck, difficulty swallowing or breathing, warranting removal of the gland. Removal of the thyroid gland due to cosmetic reasons are very rare.
Thyroid cancer is one of the least deadly cancers with a higher survival rate than most cancers. It's more prevalent among younger people than with other cancers, which appear during the ages of 45 and 54. Women are more susceptible to thyroid cancer than men. Thyroid cancer can come with or without warning signs; some have no symptoms, while others tend to cause pain or an enlarged lymph node. A diagnosis is usually made when a lump or swelling appears on the neck with or without pain, a nodule found during a routine physical examination, or during an ultrasound (US) scan.
Surgery and hormone-replacement medicine are some of the options for thyroid cancer. Increased use of ultrasound has made it easier to detect thyroid nodules than it was possible in the past, making even the smallest nodules visible, causing overdiagnosis. Overdiagnosis tends to be a problem at times resulting in unnecessary thyroid hormone treatment such as hormone medicine or thyroid gland removal, even when there aren't any obvious symptoms.
Thyroid Cancers
There are four main thyroid types of thyroid cancer. Papillary or Mixed Papillary-follicular Thyroid Cancer is the most common cancer caused by exposure to radiation and affects 80% of all cases, while cases of Follicular or Hurthle Cell Thyroid Cancer amount to 13%, Medullary Thyroid Cancer about 4% cases, and Anaplastic thyroid cancer only 2%.
The less-common thyroid cancers are thyroid tumours, thyroid lymphoma, and thyroid sarcoma. Thyroid cancer symptoms are as follows: thyroid nodules, enlarged lymph nodes, swelling, pain in the neck, and a hoarse voice. If you have a family history of thyroid cancer, checking for thyroid nodules may be precautionary. The older you get, the higher the chances are of you getting thyroid nodules. Keeping in mind that only a few nodules are cancerous, if you notice a lump in the area of the of your thyroid, get it evaluated.
There is no known reason for thyroid cancer other than the fact that some cases are inherited by our genes. They are Familial Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Cowden Disease, Carney Complex Type 1, and Non-familial Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma. Other cases occur due to mutations in genes. That happens over time for reasons such as low iodine levels and radiation exposure. You can check your thyroid nodules and lumps at home, but many are too small to be felt or seen. Thyroid cancer is diagnosed through a series of tests, and labs can help rule out other thyroid conditions too.
Cancer Treatment
Depending on your condition, the doctor may do blood tests; fine needle aspiration biopsy, Genetic testing for certain types of imaging like ultrasound, Computed Tomography (CT) scan, Radioiodine scan or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan to evaluate your condition. These tests can indicate the stage of your thyroid cancer. Over 98% of thyroid patients have a survival rate of five years, but the older you are, the chances of the cancer being aggressive are higher.
Treatment for thyroid cancer depends on the kind of cancer; how large it is if it has spread, as well as your overall health. Surgery to remove the thyroid gland or a part of it is common, as is thyroid hormone-replacement medication afterwards to keep the gland functioning. Radioactive iodine therapy, radiation, chemo, alcohol ablation, active surveillance or targetted drug therapy may be done too. Coping with a thyroid cancer diagnosis can cause changes in emotional, physical and social aspects. You may want to think about lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. Educating yourself about thyroid cancer can be fruitful, thus making you able to help yourself and others with thyroid cancer.
Thyroid cancer can cause cardiovascular diseases (CV) such as Encompassing Heart Disease, Aortic Aneurysms and stroke. Even with proper treatment for thyroid cancer, CV can develop. Several therapeutic methods used for thyroid cancer can also cause (CV). Sometimes thyroid cancer can manifest with an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), causing ill cardiovascular health. By limiting processed food and red meats while eating fruits and vegetables—especially antioxidant-rich food—you may ward off cancer risk and heart disease.
Risk of atrial fibrillations is increased with hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer. If you are diagnosed with Medullary or Anaplastic Thyroid while pregnant, putting off having a Thyroidectomy until the baby is born can have a negative effect. It may be necessary to have the surgery during the first 24 to 26 weeks of your pregnancy if your thyroid cancer has grown by 50% in volume and 20% in diameter. Surgery may also be necessary if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.
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