Hyperthyroidism - Research Paper Example

It can be treated in a variety of ways, with the doctor deciding the best method of treatment after studying the age, history and cause of the disease of individual patients . The disease is more common in women than in men and rarely affects children below 15 years of age.It is estimated that about 1% of the US population has hyperthyroidism. It is most often seen in elderly people who are over 60 years of age in the form of thyroid nodules that are lumps in the thyroid gland. The condition is treated with anti-thyroid drugs, surgery, or radioactive iodine.

People with hyperthyroidism can live normal, active lives with regular monitoring and medical care. The human endocrine system is made up of glands that secrete hormones that are released into the bloodstream and maintain the body’s metabolism.The endocrine glands are the main hormone producing glands in the human body. The thyroid gland in the neck is one of the glands of the endocrine system, the pituitary gland in the brain is another. The pituitary gland which is about the size of a pea, is located at the base of the brain.

It is often referred to as the master gland because it controls several glands in the endocrine system. . Iodine is a very important component of the thyroid hormone. When the thyroid gland produces too much of the thyroid hormone, it results in a condition known as Hyperthyroidism commonly known as overactive thyroid. It is sometimes called thyrotoxicosis which is the technical term for too much thyroid hormone in the blood. The term hyperthyroidism refers to a group of disorders that are associated with increased levels of thyroid hormone in the blood.

“Hyperthyroidism affects 2.5 million people in the United States, but could affect up to 4.5 million people because more than half of the people with thyroid disease don't know they have it. Although it occurs at all ages, hyperthyroidism is most likely to occur after the age of 15.”(Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative medicine 2005) The term hyperthyroidism is used to refer to diseases that are caused due to excessive production of the hormones produced in the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland produces two hormones - One containing 4 units of iodine called Thyroxin (T4) and the other called triiodothyronine (T3) which contains three units of iodine.

These two hormones regulate the body's metabolic rate by helping to form protein ribonucleic acid (RNA) and increasing oxygen absorption in every cell. An increase in metabolic activity, is how cells respond to the thyroid hormone. Metabolic activity, or metabolism, refers to the processes in the body that produce energy. The chemical substances necessary for cells to grow, divide, to form new cells, and perform other vital functions are all processes included under the term metabolism . Metabolism controls the rate at which cells burn fuels from food to produce energy. Increase