Skin Tags and Diabetes: What's the Connection?
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How to Manage Your Hyperthyroidism Symptoms
Have you been experiencing strange, difficult to diagnose symptoms like rapid heartbeat, tremors, and unexpected weight loss? If so, you might have a thyroid condition called hyperthyroidism.
Hyperthyroidism can cause symptoms that are life changing in how they impact you, but with a good treatment plan and medical supervision, you can manage your symptoms effectively and feel healthy and well with this condition. Learn more about managing hyperthyroidism symptoms from Thomas Nguyen, MD of Nguyen Medical Group in Boynton Beach, Florida.
What is hyperthyroidism?
Hyperthyroidism is a condition where your thyroid gland makes too many hormones. Your thyroid hormones regulate a number of your body’s functions, including metabolic rate, heart rate, and baseline body temperature.
When your thyroid makes too many hormones, you can experience a number of symptoms that are uncomfortable and diminish your quality of life. Without treatment, they can lead to more serious issues like heart problems, eye disease, and osteoporosis.
Symptoms of hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism has a number of symptoms, many of which overlap with the signs of other conditions. In older adults especially, symptoms of hyperthyroidism can be difficult to detect.
Some of the most common hyperthyroidism symptoms include:
- Weight loss without attempting to lose weight
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Irritability or anxiety
- Fatigue
- Weakness in muscles
- Thinning hair and skin
- Hand and finger tremors
You might also be hungrier and have changes in your sleep patterns and bowel movements. If you have multiple symptoms of hyperthyroidism, our team can confirm this is the cause of your symptoms with a blood test and exam.
Managing hyperthyroidism symptoms
If you’re diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, a number of different treatments can help you feel better and reduce your risk of developing more serious complications. Treatments our team might prescribe in your treatment plan include:
Medication
Thyroid medication slows down your thyroid hormone production, normalizing your thyroid’s metabolic rate. Typically, you take the medication between 12-18 months.
You can usually start to notice an improvement in your symptoms within a couple of months. After treatment, your thyroid often works properly with no further need for medication.
Another type of medication our team often prescribes is beta blockers. Beta blockers improve many of the most uncomfortable and dangerous symptoms of hyperthyroidism, including heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat, and tremors.
Lifestyle changes
Some changes to your daily life help improve symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Our team often recommends you eat a diet low in iodine, as iodine can speed up your thyroid.
Exercise and other stress reduction techniques help improve your bone strength and reduce the anxiety that can intensify an overactive thyroid. If you’ve lost significant weight from hyperthyroidism, our team might also put you on a plan to gain weight while eating a healthy, balanced diet.
Surgery
If medication and lifestyle changes don’t balance your thyroid, a thyroidectomy procedure can treat the condition. This surgery involves removing part or all of your thyroid.
Hyperthyroidism symptoms can be unpleasant, but with the right changes and treatment plan, you can manage this chronic condition and even wholly treat it. For support with hyperthyroidism or another thyroid problem, contact us today.
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