Recent Blog Articles
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Testosterone-blocking drugs boost heart disease risk when given in combination
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Parenting isn't easy: Two important skills can help
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Does sleeping with an eye mask improve learning and alertness?
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Do tattoos cause lymphoma?
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Hot weather hikes: Staying safe when temperatures spike
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Cannabis drinks: How do they compare to alcohol?
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What is Lewy body dementia?
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Dog bites: How to prevent or treat them
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Ever read your medical record? Here's why you should
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Shining light on night blindness
Thyroid
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that site in the neck under the Adam's apple. It regulates the body's metabolism by sending thyroid hormone to the organs through the blood. Two conditions, an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) and an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) can result when the thyroid isn't working right.
Hyperthyroidism
An overactive thyroid gland generates too much thyroid hormone, which speeds up metabolism. Common symptoms of hyperthyroidism include:
rapid heart rate
frequent bowel movements, even diarrhea
excessive perspiration
weakness
insomnia
irritability and anxiety
increased appetite
weight loss
The first line of treatment for an overactive thyroid gland is drug therapy. If that doesn't resolve the problem, a dose of radioactive iodine may fix the problem by destroying thyroid cells. Sometimes the treatment damages so much of the gland that it can't produce enough thyroid hormone and it becomes necessary to take thyroid hormone. Surgery to remove some of the thyroid gland can be an option when other treatments don't work or aren't advisable.
Hypothroidism
An underactive thyroid gland doesn't generate enough thyroid hormone. This condition, which slows metabolism, is increasingly common with age. It can also be caused by Hashimoto's disease, a condition in which the body's immune system attacks the thyroid gland, or by thyroiditis, an inflammation of the gland.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
fatigue
constipation
dry skin
muscle pain
hair loss
weight gain
Hypothyroidism is usually treated by taking thyroid hormone.
Recent Blog Articles
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15477/conversions/59f61b05-2e23-463a-a0f7-b8aef6addd73-micro.jpg)
Testosterone-blocking drugs boost heart disease risk when given in combination
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15472/conversions/9f706d6e-3ba5-441f-a1ce-d93af96cdb5d-micro.jpg)
Parenting isn't easy: Two important skills can help
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/14937/conversions/fcff561e-5fc9-4fbd-aac0-b9ea3778052b-micro.jpg)
Does sleeping with an eye mask improve learning and alertness?
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15415/conversions/2acee670-1e43-413e-a07b-437512d22803-micro.jpg)
Do tattoos cause lymphoma?
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/14051/conversions/dea50ed5-99ea-4779-aa5b-56fae11aaa92-micro.jpg)
Hot weather hikes: Staying safe when temperatures spike
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15405/conversions/f22b5f3d-fd64-479d-b10a-b2409347f160-micro.jpg)
Cannabis drinks: How do they compare to alcohol?
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15404/conversions/ccd2e44a-96c4-492f-a05c-c2706549efc0-micro.jpg)
What is Lewy body dementia?
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15083/conversions/2fa8315b-f48e-43fb-8b56-d681a1715343-micro.jpg)
Dog bites: How to prevent or treat them
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15386/conversions/33679f9f-8065-4e13-a188-2ca67472b36f-micro.jpg)
Ever read your medical record? Here's why you should
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/14810/conversions/778f3d8c-0b73-420c-8d03-e8542d49660d-micro.jpg)
Shining light on night blindness
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