ters is that some studies have linked hypothyroidism (including the subtle subclinical form) to higher rates of cholesterol abnormalities, and hence perhaps to higher rates of heart attacks and strokes.
. .. Hyperthyroidism is the polar opposite of hypothyroidism, because in hyperthyroidism the thyroid gland goes into overdrive. Thus, people with hyperthyroidism may suffer from any (or most) of a host of symptoms due to their fast-paced metabolism, such as:
• Weight loss (when they’re not trying to lose
weight)
• Increased appetite
• Insomnia
• Mood swings
• Nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, and tremors
• Heat intolerance and increased sweating (these
people are always asking you to open the
windows and doors because it’s too hot in the
room)
• Fatigue and muscle weakness
• Rapid pulse, irregular heart rhythms
• Bulging eyeballs (see below), double vision,
and eye irritation
• Frequent bowel movements
• Menstrual irregularities.
. .. Graves disease is the most common form of hyperthyroidism and as stated earlier, it’s an auto-immune disorder, that is, a condition in which a person’s immune system turns on the person who owns that immune system and begins to destroy that person’s own tissues, and in case you’re thinking, “Boy is that ever weird, so it must be really rare,” let me assure you that, yes, although it is weird, it’s anything but rare. Thus, other prominent auto-immune diseases are Type 1 diabetes, lupus, celiac disease, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, and a host of other well-known and not uncommon health problems.
. .. Why does the body begin to destroy its own tissues? No one really knows, of course, although some suspected culprits include infections and other toxic agents that act on a susceptible person to highjack the immune system, that is, in people who are genetically pre-disposed, some kind of environmental factors such as an infection or some toxic agent can convince the body’s immune system that certain of its own tissues are actually dangerous, so the immune system tries to wipe out those tissues (pancreatic cells in Type 1 diabetes, nerve cells in MS, joint cells in rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid cells in Graves’ disease, and so on).
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