Thyroid Problems in Men | Hyperthyroidism & Hypothyroidism

About 20 million Americans have a form of thyroid disease, and yes, it is true, women are 5-8 times more likely than men to encounter thyroid problems (minor-to-sever), and one woman in eight will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime. These are facts given by the American Thyroid Association, however, men are not excluded—the circumstances have to be just right.

Males have a few symptoms that can differ from women but can also can help identify thyroid problems in men. The symptoms may include gaining weight, losing muscles, or muscle strength, decrease of libido activity, balding, rapid bodily hair shedding. However, men and women also share a few of the same hypothyroidism symptoms such as exhaustion, depression, feeling cold, constipation, muscle aches, pains, and low resistance to infection. Dr. Berkowitz, a leading thyroid specialist, suggests that “many people don’t sleep as well as they should, so the body overcompensates,” Perhaps, men can associate their lack of sleep and stress with possible thyroid issues.

Looking at hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, men are able to understand the classifications of their symptoms and the next steps they should take.

Hypothyroidism

A low metabolism or an underactive thyroid gland may result in low thyroid hormone levels referred to as hypothyroidism. The symptoms of hypothyroidism affect men physically as well as being visible in appearance. A few symptoms a man may encounter: hair lose, fatigue, dry skin, weight gain, constipation, or cold intolerance. Unfortunately, studies show that the chronic pain illness that causes extreme muscle and joint pain, as well as fatigue, known as Fibromyalgia, can follow hypothyroidism. The best precautions involve prescription treatments pairing the right drugs with the right blood tests levels—advised by a conventional doctor.

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Hyperthyroidism

An overactive thyroid gland, or an overly high thyroid level in men signifies hyperthyroidism which an increase metabolism and is identified by a larger list of more sever symptoms. Here is the list as followed, again, in no specific order. Symptoms include: fatigue, weight loss, insomnia, trembling hands, hair loss, heart palpitations, breathlessness, muscle weakness, increased bowel movements and more. The symptoms gradually increase in severity over time, moreover, the number of systems decreases with age making it harder to detect in middle age to late-age men.

There are 4 common cause of both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism presented by trusted online medical resource WebMD, as followed:

“ All types of hyperthyroidism are due to an overproduction of thyroid hormones, but the condition can occur in several ways:

Graves’ disease: The production of too much thyroid hormone.

Toxic adenomas: Nodules develop in the thyroid gland and begin to secrete thyroid hormones, upsetting the body’s chemical balance; some goiters may contain several of these nodules.

Subacute thyroiditis: Inflammation of the thyroid that causes the gland to “leak” excess hormones, resulting in temporary hyperthyroidism that generally lasts a few weeks but may persist for months.

Pituitary gland malfunctions or cancerous growths in the thyroid gland: Although rare, hyperthyroidism can also develop from these causes.

Hypothyroidism, by contrast, stems from an underproduction of thyroid hormones. Since your body’s energy production requires certain amounts of thyroid hormones, a drop in hormone production leads to lower energy levels.

Causes of hypothyroidism include:

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: In this autoimmune disorder, the body attacks thyroid tissue. The tissue eventually dies and stops producing hormones.

Removal of the thyroid gland: The thyroid may have been surgically removed or chemically destroyed.

Exposure to excessive amounts of iodide: Cold and sinus medicines, the heart medicine amiodarone, or certain contrast dyes given before some X-rays may expose you to too much iodine. You may be at greater risk for developing hypothyroidism if you have had thyroid problems in the past.

Lithium: This drug has also been implicated as a cause of hypothyroidism.”

Call your doctor

While most people associate thyroid disease and problems with women, man can have thyroid issues as well. There are different types of health professionals that can help you with your thyroid problems. It’s best to see a doctor if you have two or more of the above symptoms. This will initiate the watchful period where your doctor will observe your symptoms, run tests if needed and monitor your symptoms to see if your results call for treatment in the future.