Millions of Americans are diagnosed with a thyroid condition each year. Thyroid disease is a common endocrine disorder, and can cause a wide range of symptoms, from fatigue and weight gain to depression and anxiety. Luckily for you, AFC Urgent Care Saugus created a guide around thyroid disease awareness month that will help you better understand the causes, symptoms, testing options and treatments available. 

What Causes Thyroid Disease?

Thyroid Diseases are caused by an imbalance in your body’s production of thyroid hormones. The two main thyroid hormones are triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). The thyroid gland’s responsibility is to manage how much of these hormones are produced. 

This is done by taking in factors such as stress, diet and environment and adjusting hormone production accordingly. In some cases, you may develop an autoimmune reaction, which can cause the immune system to attack the thyroid gland.

Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism are the two common categories when dealing with Thyroid disease.

Hypothyroidism:

With hypothyroidism your thyroid gland can’t make enough hormones to function well.. In hypothyroidism, the gland’s hormone production slows. This, in turn, slows your metabolism, which can lead to weight gain and other symptoms. 

Hyperthyroidism:

As its name suggests, hyperthyroidism occurs when your body makes too much of the thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), and becomes overactive. If you have hyperthyroidism, you may experience a fast heartbeat, increased appetite, anxiety, sensitivity to heat, or sudden weight loss.

What Symptoms Should I Look For? 

Thyroid Disease symptoms can be different and very common. Symptoms can  vary depending if the Thyroid gland is overproducing or underproducing its hormones. 

Underproducing symptoms (Hypothyroidism)

• Having muscle weakness and tremors.
• Experiencing irregular menstrual periods or having your menstrual cycle stop.
• Feeling sensitive to heat.
• Having vision problems or eye irritation.
• Having trouble sleeping

Overproducing symptoms (Hyperthyroidism)

• Having dry and coarse hair.
• Having a hoarse voice.
• Experiencing an intolerance to cold temperatures.
• Feeling fatigue 
• Gaining weight 

If you experience any of the symptoms above, it’s advisable to seek help from a medical professional. 

Getting Tested For Thyroid Disease

At AFC Urgent Care Saugus our medical providers can help test you for Thyroid disease. The doctors will perform some of the following tests: 

Blood tests - Thyroid blood tests are used to tell if your thyroid gland is functioning properly by measuring the amount of thyroid hormones in your blood. 

Physical exams -  This is a painless test where the medical professional feels your gland to see if there is any abnormality. 

Medical History - The medical history is important to review because it can cross out any other potential conditions

These tests are painless and will help both you and the doctor understand what is going on with your Thyroid gland. 

Living with a Thyroid condition 

It's important to manage it effectively. Managing your thyroid disease may include dietary changes, lifestyle changes, medications and/or other treatments.Most of the time, no drastic change or disruption will occur in a person’s daily life.

AFC Urgent Care Saugus Can Help Test You For Thyroid Disease!

Unsure if your feeling of fatigueness is related to thyroid disease or something else? AFC Urgent Care Saugus can help! We offer full checkups and blood work to determine if you have a thyroid condition or not. 

Our doors are open 7 days a week with no appointment needed. You can count on us any day of the week to give you the results you need.