Hyperthyroidism

• What is hyperthyroidism?
• What are the thyroid hormones?
• Thyroid hormone regulation - the chain of command
• What causes hyperthyroidism?
• What are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism?
• How is hyperthyroidism diagnosed?
• How is hyperthyroidism treated?
• What's best for you?
• Hyperthyroidism At A Glance
• Patient Discussions: Hyperthyroidism - Symptoms Experienced

8 Causes of Night Sweats Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr, MD, FACP, FACR Doctors in primary care fields often hear their patients complain of night sweats. Night sweats refer to any excess sweating occurring during the night. However, if your bedroom is unusually hot or you are using too many bedclothes, you may begin to sweat during sleep--and this is normal. In order to distinguish night sweats that arise from medical causes from those that occur because one's surroundings are too warm, doctors generally refer to true night sweats as severe hot flashes occurring at night that can drench sleepwear and sheets, which are not related to an overheated environment. In one study of 2267 patients visiting a primary care physician, 41% reported experiencing night sweats during the previous month, so the perception of excessive sweating at night is fairly common. It is important to note that flushing (a warmth and redness of the face or trunk) may also be hard to distinguish from true night sweats. There are many different causes of night sweats (including hyperthyroidism). Read more about causes of night sweats. » Top Searched Hyperthyroidism Terms: hyperthyroidism signs & symptoms, hyperthyroidism causes, pregnancy and hyperthyroidism, soy and hyperthyroidism, thyroid blood tests, sub-clinical, herbal supplements, hyperthyroidism treatment

What is hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which an overactive thyroid gland is producing an excessive amount of thyroid hormones that circulate in the blood. ("Hyper" means "over" in Greek). Thyrotoxicosis is a toxic condition that is caused by an excess of thyroid hormones from any cause. Thyrotoxicosis can be caused by an excessive intake of thyroid hormone or by overproduction of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland. Because both physicians and patients often use these words interchangeably, we will take some liberty by using the term "hyperthyroidism" throughout this article.

What are thyroid hormones?

Thyroid hormones stimulate the metabolism of cells. They are produced by the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located in the lower part of the neck, below the Adam's apple. The gland wraps around the windpipe (trachea) and has a shape that is similar to a butterfly formed by two wings (lobes) and attached by a middle part (isthmus).

The thyroid gland removes iodine from the blood (which comes mostly from a diet of foods such as seafood, bread, and salt) and uses it to produce thyroid hormones. The two most important thyroid hormones are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) representing 99.9% and 0.1% of thyroid hormones respectively. The hormone with the most biological activity (for example, the greatest effect on the body) is actually T3. Once released from the thyroid gland into the blood, a large amount of T4 is converted to T3 - the more active hormone that affects the metabolism of cells.

Hyperthyroidism - Symptoms Experienced

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