How to Treat Thyroid Conditions

The thyroid is a small gland in the front of the neck that works to produce hormones in charge of regulating body functions such as metabolism, weight, hair growth/loss, body temperature, mood and more. When the thyroid becomes sluggish or too active, it can cause problems with day-to-day functioning. Treatment is simple and recovery begins about four weeks after starting daily medication.

Things You'll Need

• Thyroid replacement hormones

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Instructions

• 1

  Check your symptoms against the ones most commonly associated with thyroid disease. Hypothyroid patients (slow/sluggish to inactive thyroid) experience weight gain, extreme fatigue, hair loss, a feeling of being cold all the time (despite climate or room temperature), constipation, depression and dry skin. Hyperthyroid patients (overactive thyroid) may lose a great amount of weight (or not be able to put weight on), have heart palpitations, sweaty palms, bulging eyes, insomnia, warm skin and intolerance to heat.

• 2

  Visit a doctor or an endocrinologist to get your blood tested. The doctor will test your blood for two hormones: T4 (the main thyroid hormone) and TSH (the thyroid stimulating hormone). Hypothyroid patients will have a low T4 and a high TSH; hyperthyroid patients will be the opposite. Once your doctor has your blood test results, you will discuss medication.

• 3

  Choose a treatment option best suited to your illness. For hypothyroid patients, thyroid hormone replacement therapy is used most often. It consists of a daily pill, which mimics the thyroid's functioning in the body. Hyperthyroid patients are treated one of three ways: with a daily pill that works to interfere with the overactive thyroid and slow its activity, with radioactive iodine treatment (the patient takes one iodine pill under a doctor's care, hospitalization is not necessary; the pill works to stop the thyroid's activity) and by surgery to remove the thyroid gland.

• 4

  Return to your doctor/endocrinologist for regular visits (usually every six months) so the physician may measure your thyroid's progress. If thyroid replacement hormone is your treatment choice, medication levels may be switched to get the dosing right, optimizing the amount required to mimic thyroid production (or slow down thyroid processing).