Hyperthyroidism is a serious medical condition that causes your thyroid to make too much of the hormone thyroxine. With an overactive thyroid, your body’s metabolism can accelerate rapidly, causing an array of troubling symptoms, notes MayoClinic.com. If your toddler shows signs of weight loss or anxiety, his pediatrician may check his thyroid levels to determine if his thyroid is overactive.
Hyperthyroidism
As your toddler grows and develops, he relies on several important glands, including the thyroid -- which gives him the energy he needs. The thyroid is a gland that is located at the front base of the neck. Your thyroid is very important because it controls so many processes within the body, including your body's natural thermostat in metabolism, which allows for the conversion of oxygen and calories into energy. Thyroid cells absorb iodine and tyrosine in order to make the hormones T3 and T4. There are many causes of hyperthyroidism, including Grave's disease, goiter, thyroiditis, and nodules or tumors on the thyroid, explains Endocrineweb.com.
Symptoms
Some of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism can mask other conditions, so it is important to get an accurate diagnosis from your child's pediatrician. Your child's pediatrician will do a physical exam that involves examining the inside and outside of his neck for any type of swelling or differences in and around the thyroid area. Symptoms of a hyperthyroid in a toddler may include restlessness, nervousness, weight loss, increased appetite, sweating, heat intolerance, frequent bowel movements, tremor, fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating and swelling in the neck area, explains Pub Med Health.
Solution
Depending on the cause, most cases of a hyperthyroid in a toddler can be treated. The American Family Physician reports that treatment can be successful and not lead to permanent long-term damage. Beta blockers may be prescribed to provide relief of adrenergic symptoms including rapid heart rate, nervousness and tremor. Iodides are a temporary solution to help reduce T4 and T3 hormone release, especially before surgery. Radioactive iodine may also be used, but only in special situations due to the risk of radioactivity. Anti-thyroid drugs such as tapazole may be administered to help suppress thyroid hormone levels.
Precaution
Left untreated, an overactive thyroid in a toddler can cause serious long-term effects. It may affect his ability to grow or leave him with damage to vital organs, including his heart. MayoClinic.com explains that some of the complications caused by hyperthyroidism include brittle bones, rapid heart rate, congestive heart failure, bulging eyes and double or blurred vision. A very serious effect is thyrotoxic crisis, which is an intensification of symptoms, including a fever, delirium and rapid pulse -- immediate medical care is advised.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Hyperthyroidism; Dec. 4, 2010
- Endocrineweb.com; Hyperthyroidism: Overactivity of the Thyroid Gland; James Norman MD, FACS, FACE; Oct. 10, 2010
- Pub Med Health; Hyperthyroidism; April 19, 2010
- American Family Physician; Hyperthyroidism Diagnosis and Treatment; Jeri R. Reid, M.D., Stephen F. Wheeler, M.D.; Aug. 15, 2005
- MayoClinic.com; Hyperthyroidism Complications; Dec. 4, 2010
