Ayurveda for Thyroid Disease

Metabolism : is a series of complex processes by which the human body converts food, water, and oxygen into tissue, energy, and waste products. It is a continuous process and goes on in every cell of the body. It comprises the breaking down of substances into simpler parts, and their shuffling and recombination into countless new substances that compose the body. For example, the carbohydrates are broken down by enzymes and acids and converted into pure sugar or glucose.

The constructive chemical and physical process by which food materials are adapted for the use of the body is known as anabolism; and the destructive process by which energy is produced with the breaking down of tissues into waste products is called catabolism. The two processes together are called metabolism.
There are clinical situatuions where thyroid hormones in the circulation are within normal range, but gland is enlarged ex: diffuse goitre, multinodular goitre, single thyroid nodule. single thyroid nodule. Single thyroid nodule deserves attention for its association with malignancy. FNAC by and experienced cytologist is of great help to rule out malignany. Once suspected, a differentiated carcinoma of thyroid calls for total thyroidectomy, followed by radio-iodine ablation, so that no thyroid tissue remains in the thyroid bed. This will facilitate to diagnose recurence of tumour by estimation thyroglobulin in circulation during the follow-up period. Fortunately most of the thyroid disorders including differentiated carcinoma of thyroid, are curable if managed properly.

Auto-immunity plays a major role in the aetiopathogenesis of thyroid disorders whether it is hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. However, iodine deficiency is still recognised as the commonest environmental factor keeping a large population at risk across the globe in spite of global effort to overcome the iodine deficiency. No continent is totally free of iodine deficiency. Iodine deficiency disorders include still birth, congenital malformation, deaf-mutism, cretinism, goitre and hypothyroidism in scholl going children and in adults. Physicians of India have a great task to overcome the illiteracy and misconception of the people towards iodised salt intake, and facilitate the governments effort for compulsory use of iodised salt by all.

What Are Thyroid Problems?

Through the hormones it produces, the thyroid gland influences almost all of the metabolic processes in your body. Thyroid disorders can range from a small, harmless goiter (enlarged gland) that needs no treatment to life-threatening cancer. The most common thyroid problems involve abnormal production of thyroid hormones. Too much of these vital body chemicals results in a condition known as hyperthyroidism. Insufficient hormone production leads to hypothyroidism.

Although the effects can be unpleasant or uncomfortable, most thyroid problems can be managed well if properly diagnosed and treated.

What Causes Them?

All types of hyperthyroidism are due to an overproduction of thyroid hormones, but the condition can occur in several ways: In Graves' disease, the release of excess hormones is triggered by an autoimmune disorder. For some unknown reason, the body attacks the thyroid, causing it to spill out too much hormone. At other times, nodules called toxic adenomas develop in the thyroid gland and begin to secrete thyroid hormones, upsetting the body's chemical balance; some goiters may contain several of these nodules. In subacute thyroiditis, inflammation of the thyroid causes the gland to "leak" excess hormones, resulting in temporary hyperthyroidism that generally lasts a few weeks but may persist for months. Although rare, hyperthyroidism can also develop from pituitary gland malfunctions or from cancerous growths in the thyroid gland.

Hypothyroidism, by contrast, stems from an underproduction of thyroid hormones. Since your body's energy production requires certain amounts of thyroid hormones, a drop in hormone production leads to lower energy levels. A common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks thyroid tissue. The tissue eventually dies and stops producing hormones.

Hypothyroidism can also result when the thyroid gland has been surgically removed or chemically destroyed as treatment for hyperthyroidism. If you are exposed to excessive amounts of iodide -- perhaps from a hidden source such as cold and sinus medicines, the heart medicine amiodarone or from certain contrast dyes given before some x-rays -- you may be at greater risk for developing hypothyroidism, especially if you have had thyroid problems in the past. The drug lithium has also been linked as a cause of hypothyroidism. Untreated for long periods of time, hypothyroidism can bring on a myxedema coma, a rare but potentially fatal condition that requires immediate hormone injections.

Hypothyroidism poses a special danger to newborns and infants. A lack of thyroid hormones in the system at an early age can lead to the development of cretinism (mental retardation) and dwarfism (stunted growth). Most infants now have their thyroid levels checked routinely soon after birth. If they are hypothyroid, treatment begins immediately. In infants, as in adults, hypothyroidism can be due to a pituitary disorder, a defective thyroid, or lack of the gland entirely. A hypothyroid infant is unusually inactive and quiet, has a poor appetite and sleeps for excessively long periods of time.

Cancer of the thyroid gland is quite rare and occurs in less than 10% of thyroid nodules. You might have one or more thyroid nodules for several years before they are determined to be cancerous. People who have received radiation treatment to the head and neck earlier in life, possibly as a remedy for acne, tend to have a higher-than-normal propensity for thyroid cancer.

HYPERTHYROIDISM

HYPERTHYROIDISM : If your thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone, your may have condition known as Hyperthyroidism. If you are Hyperthyroid, your also have a low level of TSH in your blood because your pituitary has decreased its TSH signals to your thyroid gland. Having too much thyroid hormone causes your body to spee up, resulting in nervousness, fast heartbeat, and unexplined weight loss, among other symptoms.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HYPERTHYROIDISM : When hyperthyroidism develops, a goiter (enlargement of the thyroid) is usually present and may be associated with some or many of the following symptom :

01. Fast heart rate, usually more than 100 beats per minute.

02. Nervousness, anxiety, or an irritable and quarrelsome feeling.

03. Trembling hands.

04. Sweating.

05. Weight loss, despite eating more than usual.

06. Intolerance of warm temperatures and increased likelihood to perspire.

07. Hair loss.

08. Muscle weakness, especially of he upper arms and thighs.

09. Loose and frequent bowel movements.

10. Infrequent and light menstrual flow.

11. Prominent "Stare" of the eyes.

12. Protrusion of the eyes, with or without double vision (in patients with Graves'disease)

13. Irregular heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation), especially in patients older than 60 years of age.

Home Remedies for Goiter.

Goiter refers to a swelling of the thyroid gland in the neck. Women are more prone to this disease than men.

The initial symptoms of goiter may be emotional upsets which gradually increase in duration. Other symptoms which appear subsequently are loss of power of concentration, irritability, and depression. The thyroid gland may swell but this has no relation to the severity of the ailment.

Deficiency of iodine in the diet is the most common cause of goiter. The thyroid gland makes use of organic iodine in its secretion and a diet deficient in organic iodine is a predisposing factor towards the appearance of this disease, especially under physical and emotional disturbances. Goiter gradually affects those who habitually live on denatured foods and not those who eat much of their food in a raw or uncooked state.