Hyperthyroidism makes the body speed up. It occurs when there is too much thyroid hormone in the blood ("hyper" means "too much"). Nearly 10 times more frequent in women, it affects about 2% of all women in the United States.
The most common cause of hyperthyroidism, Graves' disease, is caused by problems with the immune system and tends to run in families. It affects at least 2.5 million Americans, including Olympic athlete Gail Devers who won a gold medal in track after being diagnosed with and treated for Graves' disease.
Symptoms include:
fast heart rate
nervousness
increased...
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland just below the Adam's apple. This gland plays a very important role in controlling the body's metabolism, that is, how the body functions. It does this by producing thyroid hormones (T4 and T3), chemicals that travel through the blood to every part of the body. Thyroid hormones tell the body how fast to work and use energy.
The thyroid gland works like an air conditioner. If there are enough thyroid hormones in the blood, the gland stops making the hormones (just as an air conditioner cycles off when there is enough cool air in a house). When the body...
Weight problems are usually the result of
stress
depression
frustration
low self-esteem
physical illness
Malabsorption
Hormone Imbalance
So, unless your approach to weight loss or weight gain addresses one or more of these underlying causes you may find it impossible to achieve the optimal healthy weight range for your height and body type.
The National Institute of Health reports
diet programs, individual or commercial, medically supervised or not, have a greater than 95% failure rate in the long run
A weight loss program that addresses underlying causes and makes use of safe,...
Thyroid Disease (Thyroiditis)
Thyroiditis is an inflammation of the thyroid gland. Thyroiditis can cause either hyperthyroidism, or one followed by the other. It can also cause a goiter, an abnormal swelling in the neck due to an enlarged thyroid. It affects about 12 million people in the United States.
Thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. When patients with thyroiditis have any symptoms, they are usually the symptoms of hypothyroidism. It is also common to have an enlarged thyroid that may shrink over time.
The type of thyroiditis seen most often is Hashimoto's thyroiditis,...
