Thyroid disease affects men, women, teenagers, infants, and seniors. Thyroid disease is very common, with an estimated 20 million people in the UK having some type of thyroid disorder.
Because many of the symptoms of a thyroid condition are similar to signs of other medical conditions, it can make it difficult to know if your symptoms are related to a thyroid issue or something different.
The best way to determine if you have a thyroid condition is to take a thyroid blood test (t4 and t3 blood test). Anna Pharmacy in South London offers full thyroid blood tests at each of our locations.
Thyroid disease is divided into two groups:
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) – individuals with too much thyroid hormone
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) – individuals with too little thyroid hormone
Symptoms of hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) can include:
- Experiencing anxiety, irritability, and nervousness.
- Having trouble sleeping.
- Losing weight.
- Having an enlarged thyroid gland or a goiter.
- 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.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) can include:
- Fatigue.
- Gaining weight.
- Experiencing forgetfulness.
- Having frequent and heavy menstrual periods.
- Having dry and coarse hair.
- Having a hoarse voice.
- Experiencing an intolerance to cold temperatures.
Blood tests
There are a variety of blood tests that are used to identify if you have an overactive or underactive thyroid.
These include:
· TSH Blood Test (Thyroid-stimulating hormone)
· T4: Thyroxine
· FT4: Free T4 or free thyroxine
· T3: Triiodothyronine
· FT3: Free T3 or free triiodothyronine
Anna Pharmacy offers TSH blood tests in Carshalton as well as all of the thyroid blood tests in Sutton, Carshalton, Hackbridge, Wallington.
Treatment for Thyroid Disease
Medication is the primary treatment to return thyroid levels back to normal. There are a variety of medications available, treatment will depend on the cause of your particular thyroid condition.
If you have hyperthyroidism, treatment typically includes:
- Anti-thyroid drugs (methimazole and propylthiouracil)
- Radioactive iodine
- Beta-blockers
- Surgery
If you have hypothyroidism, the primary treatment is:
- Thyroid replacement medication
If you think you may have a thyroid condition, the best thing to do is get a TSH blood test in Sutton, Hackbridge, or any of our Anna Pharmacy locations. The sooner it is diagnosed, the sooner you can treat it and start to feel normal and healthy again.