According to the British Thyroid Foundation (BTF), thyroid problems are more common than you might think, affecting 1 in 20 people, though usual women. Here at Jonathan Hughes, Harley Street, we’re ENT specialists and thyroid specialists who can help with ear, nose and throat treatments, and may be able to help with a thyroid concern to help you feel more like you again.
What is the thyroid?
It’s a special gland in your neck that secretes two hormones, T4 and T3, which work to regulate your metabolism and some other related functions (for example, heart function). It’s made up of two small lobes that sit at the bottom of your windpipe.
What can go wrong?
You might have heard the terms underactive (hypothyroidism) and overactive (hyperthyroidism), which relate to how much of these hormones the thyroid produces. Too much can cause more activity in your cells, while too little can slow down activity. One of the causes of an overactive thyroid is benign (non-cancerous) nodules or lumps growing in the area, which can contain thyroid tissue.
What are the symptoms of a thyroid problem?
Sometimes, there are very few symptoms. With an underactive thyroid, you may feel tired and sluggish, cold, lacking in concentration, susceptible to weight gain and even depressed. With an overactive thyroid, you may find you lose weight, experience anxiety, and suffer from an intolerance to heat.
What problems can nodules cause?
Some non-cancerous nodules can develop into cancerous tumours – in other words, thyroid cancer. Nodules and lumps in the area around the throat can also cause breathing, sleeping and swallowing problems.
How can Jonathan Hughes help?
As ENT specialists, we’re also thyroid specialists and can help diagnose and treat your problem here in Harley Street, London. When it comes to your thyroid, if nodules or lumps are found to be the cause, we can help remove these, which can help restore proper function to the thyroid. In addition, if you’re found to have thyroid cancer, we can help treat this, too.
What’s my next step?
We advise you to get in touch with our dedicated team and arrange a consultation for your overactive or underactive thyroid treatment, to help work out the best course of action. We look forward to helping you with any ear, nose and throat condition and are committed to patient excellence in all we do.