Drug therapy, treatment with radioactive iodine capsules or surgery for thyroid removal are the options that are available for the treatment of hyperthyroidism. The treatment of this disease is not straightforward or linear, as it depends on the age of the patient, the severity of the disease and the intensity of the symptoms presented.
Hyperthyroidism is caused by a disturbance in the functioning of the thyroid gland, which causes it to function in an exaggerated manner, releasing hormones to the body in a much greater amount than expected. Thus, treatments for hyperthyroidism can be done with:
1. Remedies for Hyperthyroidism
Medications like Propiltiouracil, Propilracil, Metimazol or Tapazol are used in the treatment of Hyperthyroidism, as they are responsible for inhibiting the production of thyroid hormones, thus helping to stabilize these hormones in the bloodstream.
The doses to be used of these remedies are not fixed and must be indicated by the doctor, as they depend on the response of each patient to the treatment and on the side effects felt. Thus, during the treatment it is necessary to make dose adjustments over time, where for this the doctor evaluates the side effects felt and based on this information decides whether it is necessary to maintain, increase or decrease the dose of the medicine. Learn more about the remedies that can be used in treatment at Thyroid Remedies.
To assess whether the drug is in the right dose and if it is having the desired effect, blood tests will be ordered to assess the levels of the hormones TSH, T3 and T4 in the body, and the right dose of medication can be achieved between 6 to 8 weeks of treatment.
2. Radioactive iodine treatment
Another treatment option is radioactive iodine treatment, which consists of taking capsules containing radioactive iodine. This treatment method will destroy the thyroid tissue, thus destroying the thyroid, since it is unregulated and harmful to health.
This is a definitive treatment method, which makes it necessary to take hormones for the rest of your life, since there is no longer a functional thyroid that produces it. This type of treatment is contraindicated in cases of pregnancy or for women who are breastfeeding.
Often, just 1 dose of radioactive iodine can be sufficient to treat hyperthyroidism, but there may be cases where it is necessary for the doctor to prolong the treatment for some time.
3. Thyroid removal surgery
Surgery to remove the thyroid gland is another treatment option and it is also definitive, especially indicated in cases where other treatments have not resulted or when there is the presence of nodules, exaggerated enlargement of the thyroid or cancer. This surgery can be total or partial and the difference is based on whether the thyroid gland is removed in whole or in part.
Recovery from surgery is very simple, and then it is only recommended to avoid making efforts so as not to cause swelling or bleeding at the cut site. Learn more about how this surgery is done in Thyroid Surgery.
See what you can eat on a daily basis to control hyperthyroidism in the following video:
