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An Overview On Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is a disease associated with the over production of thyroid hormones. How does this disorder progress in one’s body? Take a look at the brain and neck’s chain of command.

The diseases connected with the thyroid gland seem confusing at times. You may even mistake one to the other. However, a good thing to remember the name of these disorders is through the connection of the terms hyper and hypo to the disease. One is the exact opposite of the other. Take a look at hyperthyroidism.

Hyperthyroidism is a disorder whose manifestations and descriptions are contradictory to hypothyroidism. It is known as a thyroid disease wherein an overactive thyroid gland is creating an extreme quantity of hormones that moving in the bloodstream. It is somehow interchanged by doctors with the condition known as thyrotoxicosis. Thyrotoxicosis is a poisonous condition that can be triggered by too much drinking of thyroid hormone supplements or by excessive creation of hormones in the thyroid gland.

Relationship of thyroid hormones and thyroid gland

Thyroid hormones function by accelerating the metabolism of the cells as it is developed by the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is situated below the neck area, underneath the Adam’s apple. It enfolds just about the trachea and its form is comparable to a butterfly consisting of two lobes and enclosed by the isthmus.

The thyroid gland eradicates iodine from the blood and utilizes it to develop thyroid hormones. The two largely vital hormones produced by the thyroid gland are 99.9% thyroxine (T4) and 0.1% triiodothyronine (T3). The thyroid hormone which has the greatest biological movement is T3. When T4 flows from the thyroid gland down to the bloodstream, it becomes T3. The latter is said to affect the functioning of the body because of its effect to the entire metabolism.

Thyroid hormones and hyperthyroidism

Being located on the neck area, you may wonder how the thyroid functions very well. Evidently, it also has its own chain of command to follow. Logical as it is located below the head, the brain is the main dictator of this chain. It may not be the brain which directly affects the thyroid but another gland known as the pituitary.

If you think the chain starts from the pituitary gland because of its location, well there is still a higher authority when it comes to the sequence of command. Just above the functioning of the pituitary is the hypothalamus. The said gland together with thyroid hormones traveling around the bloodstream dictates the proper functioning of the pituitary.

Besides dictating the functions of the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus is also responsible for releasing a very important hormone known as thyrotrophin releasing hormone – in shorter terms TRH. This hormone is what the pituitary gland uses in releasing its very own thyroid stimulating hormone or better known as TSH. The TSH bears the sign by which the thyroid glands should produce its own thyroid hormones. Any overproduction of hormones in the three areas may lead to the occurrence of the disease known as hyperthyroidism.

The results of hyperthyroidism may be said to follow its own protocol. This thyroid disease comes from the activities involved from the hypothalamus and pituitary down to the thyroid gland. It is important that all these glands must function well for a healthier endocrine system.

Tags: endocrine system, hyperthyroidism, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid glands, TRH, TSH

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