You must have heard about many people complaining about having a condition called the Thyroid Disorder. While most of us have heard about it, not many of us actually know much about this disorder. Thyroid disorders are more common than one may expect, which is why it is essential to know more about it in order to spot the symptoms and seek treatment in time. Many multispecialty hospitals in Punjab are today well-equipped to trace the symptoms and provide timely treatment. 

What is a Thyroid Disorder?

The human body consists of a butterfly-shaped gland in front of the neck, known as Thyroid. This gland is majorly responsible for regulating our metabolic processes. Using iodine, Thyroid works towards producing essential hormones for the human body, like Thyroxine (also known as T4). As explained by some of the best rated doctors, a part of thyroxine is then converted into triiodothyronine (T3) once it reaches the body tissues. T3 is the most active hormone in the human body. 

The Thyroid gland works in tandem with communication from the brain regarding release of hormones. In case of low thyroid hormone levels (T4), the brain’s hypothalamus produces Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone (TRH) which further results in the release of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) from the Pituitary gland. TSH is the hormone which stimulates the underperforming thyroid gland causing it to release more T4. 

A Thyroid Disorder is thus caused when the gland underperforms by releasing low levels of T4 or overworks and released high levels of T4. Since it works in coordination with the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, a malfunction of the two tissues can also cause a thyroid disorder in the human body.

Types of Thyroid Disorders Treated by the Top Hospitals in Chandigarh

The best doctors in Punjab have listed down five specific kinds of thyroid disorders as diagnosed in most patients:

1. Hypothyroidism

2. Hyperthyroidism

3. Goiter

4. Thyroid nodules

5. Thyroid cancer

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is caused when the thyroid gland underperforms and produces low levels of Thyroxine (T4). Its common symptoms include –

1. Fatigue

2. Decreased concentration or increased confusion

3. Dryness in skin

4. Consistent constipation

5. Feeling colder than usual

6. Fluid retention in the body

7. Muscle and joint pains

8. Depression

9. Excessive menstrual bleeding 

Apart from the problems within thyroid gland, pituitary gland, and hypothalamus, the thyroid disorder can also be caused by Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Thyroid hormone resistance, acute thyroiditis and postpartum thyroiditis (thyroiditis is the inflammation of the thyroid gland).

Hyperthyroidism

Contrary to hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism is caused due to an overperforming thyroid gland that produces more levels of T4 than what is required by the human body. Hyperthyroidism is not as common as hypothyroidism and is often misdiagnosed in many cases. Some of its symptoms include –

1. Tremors

2. Nervousness

3. Increased heart rate

4. Fatigue

5. Intolerance for hot temperatures

6. Increase in bowel movements

7. Over sweating

8. Lack of concentration

9. Unexplained weight loss

Some of the most common causes of hyperthyroidism other than the malfunctioning of pituitary gland, hypothalamus, thyroid gland, include Graves' disease, toxic multinodular goiter, “hot” thyroid nodules, and excessive iodine consumption.

Goiter

The top reviewed doctors explain that goiter is not a specific disease as such and can be simply described as an enlargement of the thyroid gland. The doctors add that the cause of the enlargement holds little to no significance in diagnosis of the condition as goiter. It could be caused by any form of thyroid disorder.

Thyroid nodules

By simple definition, nodules are abnormal growths in the form of lumps or masses inside the thyroid gland. Nodules may be caused by –

1. Benign cysts

2. Benign tumors

3. Thyroid cancer

Their quantitative growth and size may vary depending from case to case.

Thyroid cancer

Like other types of cancer, thyroid cancer too is caused by the growth of infected cells within the organ/gland. Statistics show that adult women are known to have reported more cases of diagnosed thyroid cancer as compared to adult men or the youth. Thyroid cancer is far more common among adult women than men or youth. Reports from the best hospitals in Ludhiana show that out of all the cases over 66.67 per cent of thyroid cancer cases are reported for the age group under 55 years. 

Types of thyroid cancer cases too differ depending upon the cell type that becomes cancerous. However, the positive note here is that most detected cases of cancer give high survival rates with better treatment plans when the diagnosis is made at an early stage.

Find Top Reviewed Hospitals to Get the Best Thyroid Treatment

A huge section of the population often complains of the symptoms mentioned above but end up ignoring them as they do not seem too ‘harmful’. Being tired or finding changes in weight are symptoms that people most often associate with their metabolism rate and change in workout schedules. However, when the changes are unexplained, it becomes essential to seek guidance from a top rated doctor to ensure that you get best treatment available. If you’re unsure of which doctor to refer to or which hospital to visit, there are several online medical directories that provide you with a complete and detailed listed of the best doctors and highly reviewed hospitals. Not only that, the directories are also home to all relevant information relating to the concerned doctor and the hospital including patient reviews, feedbacks, detailed analysis of their services, and other factors that help patients make their choice. Moreover, with everything being completely digital now, you can also book your appointments and make payments online through these online medical directories – you no longer have to search for specific hospital websites anymore. So, if spot the symptoms of thyroid and are looking for the top multispecialty hospital in Punjab, you know where to look!