Thyroid gland: how does the thyroid gland work and how do thyroid hormones affect our health?

The thyroid gland resembles a delicate bow or a butterfly with spread wings, but it is a real shield that protects our health. The thyroid gland produces and releases into the blood hormones that determine the functioning of the entire body. Read what a specialist says about the functioning of the thyroid gland!

The thyroid gland - how important is its proper functioning to our health and appearance? How do thyroid hormones work ? What happens when the thyroid gland produces too much or too little? We talk about it with Dr. Michał Sutkowski, a specialist in family medicine and internal medicine.

• Can it be said that the thyroid gland is the most important organ of our body?

Dr. Michał Sutkowski: All our organs are important, but the thyroid gland is distinguished by its activity. The hormones secreted by it determine the appearance of hair and skin, have an impact on the digestive system, the heart , the nervous system, bone and joint systems, and the phosphorus-calcium balance.

• The thyroid gland is an odd organ, but it does not function by itself.

The thyroid gland operates in a feedback system: thyroid- pituitary -hypothalamus. Thyroid function is regulated by tropic hormones called higher level hormones. Therefore, diseases of the thyroid gland may result from disorders of the pituitary or hypothalamus, or from deficiencies of the thyroid gland itself. The latter are the most numerous.

• Thyroid hormones affect the work of every cell. Does it determine the very different symptoms of thyroid disease?

Yes. But it must be said that the symptoms will be different in hypothyroidism than in hyperthyroidism.

• What happens in hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is not a disease in itself - it is divided into three floors. Primary hypothyroidism affects the thyroid gland itself, secondary - to the pituitary gland , and tertiary - to the hypothalamus . If a hypothalamic disease develops, it will not release the TRH hormone (thyreoliberin), which should be passed on to the pituitary gland and then to the thyroid gland. In other words, the hormone will not go further. The same will happen when the disease affects the pituitary gland (e.g. an adenoma develops ). The patient will have symptoms of hypothyroidism because the pituitary gland does not produce TSH . Judging by the symptoms, it can be said that the patient has Hashimoto's diseasewhile the main problem is adenoma.

• Sometimes is hypothyroidism treated rather than the underlying disease?

Yes, but such a patient quickly returns to the doctor because he feels very bad. Hashimoto's disease is indeed hypothyroid in 90% of cases, but the rest of the patients cannot be overlooked. The most common diseases of the thyroid gland concern its parenchyma. Clusters of lymphocytes form in the thyroid gland, destroying its parenchyma, and the thyroid gland does not produce or produces less and less thyroid hormones.

• What symptoms do patients diagnosed with hypothyroidism report?

In some people, the symptoms of hypothyroidism appear singly, in others, a variety of signals appear. They are very different. Brittleness and hair loss , dry and rough skin, swelling on the legs, but also excessive sleepiness , slowness, constant fatigue or constipation , flatulence , abdominal pain, feeling of fullness. It happens that patients have psychosis or depression and are sometimes treated for it. The lack of thyroid hormones slows down the metabolism, breathing, heart rate, low blood pressure. But it can also cause damage to the left ventricle or circulatory and respiratory failure. Some people get fat, which often makes overeating. Bones and joints pains appear, suggesting degenerative changes.

• Is there an accidental detection of hypothyroidism?

Of course. A classic example is a visit to a cardiologist. The doctor orders laboratory tests and it turns out that the patient has very high cholesterol. If there are no other factors indicating a cardiovascular insufficiency, it is worth ordering a thyroid test, because high cholesterol is also one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

• Could so many symptoms lead to incorrect treatment?

If your GP is not inquisitive enough, this may happen. Rather, the problem is that GPs and GPs do not have enough of the wide range of tests they can order for their patients. It used to be possible to mark only TSH. For several years, we can order a T3 or T4 test, refer the patient to an ultrasound of the thyroid gland. But some tests (such as Anti-TPO and Anti-TPG) that detect Hashimoto's disease are still missing. This makes work difficult, makes the diagnosis more difficult, because it is not easy to get to an endocrinologist.

• What happens when we have an overactive thyroid ?

Everything is the other way around with an overactive thyroid . Instead of gaining weight, you lose weight quickly. Instead of pale and dry skin, we have pink, well supplied with blood, but also slightly moist. Disturbances in vision are also characteristic of hyperthyroidism, e.g. orbitopathy, i.e. protruding eyes . The heart beats like crazy, there are arrhythmias, ventricular and supraventricular disorders, tachycardias. This constant and fast heartbeat translates into heart pain. Tachycardia and high blood pressure may occur . The lungs work fairly well. Hyperthyroidism is often accompanied by diarrhea and a strange rhythm of bowel movements.