Reading time: approx. 5 minutes<\/p>\n\n
In 2001, a serial ultrasound examination painted a grim picture: one in three Germans has thyroid disease! In most cases, however, there is a benign enlargement of the thyroid gland called goiter or goitre.1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n Almost one in 10 women and one in 30 men were affected by an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism<\/strong>) in 2016 and were undergoing medical treatment as a result. The autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s thyroiditis<\/strong>, known as Hashimoto’s for short, is even more common. More than ten percent of the German population now suffers from this new widespread disease.2,3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism<\/strong>) is much rarer in comparison. Less than one percent of Germans are diagnosed with hyperthyroidism after a visit to the doctor.4<\/sup><\/p>\n\n The thyroid produces the hormones triiodothyronine<\/strong> (T3<\/strong>) and tetraiodothyronine<\/strong> (T4<\/strong>), which are numerous vital processes in the human organism influence. Among other things, they control: 5<\/sup><\/p>\n\n To ensure that the body has the required amounts of T3 and T4 available in every situation, both the production and the release of thyroid hormones are controlled by a regulatory circuit. In this way, the hormone release can be quickly adapted to different needs.<\/p>\n\n First, an area of our brain, the hypothalamus<\/em>, produces the peptide hormone TRH<\/strong> (thyrotropin-releasing hormone) and releases it to the pituitary gland (hypophysis<\/em>). This gland, the size of a cherry stone, is located below the brain at the level of the root of the nose. As the name thyrotropin-releasing hormone suggests, TRH ensures that the pituitary gland produces the peptide hormone thyrotropin<\/strong> (TSH) and releases it into the blood.<\/p>\n\n TSH reaches the thyroid gland via the bloodstream, where it binds to the TSH receptor<\/strong>. As a result, iodine uptake into the thyroid gland increases, combined with the production and storage of the hormones triiodothyronine and tetraiodothyronine in so-called follicles. When needed, they can be released immediately into the blood.<\/p>\n\n The names of the thyroid hormones already indicate this: Each molecule contains three (tri<\/em>) or four (tetra<\/em>) iodine atoms. Without a sufficient supply of iodine in the diet, our body does not produce enough thyroid hormones.<\/p>\n\n Doctors refer to normal blood levels of T3 and T4 as euthyroidism<\/strong>, too low a concentration as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and too high a value as hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). Hyperthyroidism hides two possible diseases: thyroid autonomy and autoimmune disease<\/a> Graves’ disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is also an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the thyroid tissue and completely destroys it over time. At the beginning, there is usually a slight hyperthyroidism. Due to the increasing destruction of the thyroid gland, there is a progressive underactivity.<\/p>\n\n Simply put, the hormones T3 and T4 act like the accelerator pedal of a car: with hyperthyroidism, the accelerator pedal is pressed all the way down and the engine runs in the upper speed range. With hypothyroidism, on the other hand, the driver barely taps the accelerator, so the revs are very low. The symptoms of the two diseases are correspondingly opposite:<\/p>\n\n Comparison of symptoms between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\nWhat is the function of the thyroid gland in our organism?<\/h3>\n\n
How does the control circuit of the thyroid hormones work?<\/h4>\n\n
The most common thyroid diseases briefly explained<\/h3>\n\n