Thyroid Disease Symptoms Specific Only To Men?

Thyroid disease affects women more frequently than men – it’s a known fact. As per the statistics, 5 to 8 women are diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroid it is for every man who is diagnosed. Men also experience the same symptoms as those of women suffering from a thyroid disorder. However, there are some manifestations that are unique to men such as low sperm count, loss of muscle mass and erectile dysfunction.

At Al Zahara Hospital our team of doctors specializing in treatment of thyroid in Abu Dhabi have a wealth of knowledge on treating variety of thyroid disorders. Our endocrinologists can diagnose and treat a wide range of thyroid disorders.

There are two types of conditions that affect the thyroid’s ability to perform both resulting from an autoimmune process in the body.

• GRAVES DISEASE – This condition results in hyperthyroidism – an overabundance of thyroid hormones. Men suffering from this condition often complaint of unwanted weight loss, muscle loss, muscle pain, mood swings and irritability.

• HASHIMOTO’S DISEASE – This condition results in hypothyroidism – an underactiveness of thyroid hormones. Men suffering from this condition often complaint of weight gain, slowed metabolism, muscle cramps, hair loss and hormonal irregularity.

KNOW THE SYMPTOMS SPECIFIC ONLY TO MEN

SLOW METABOLISM – Hypothyroidism results in slow metabolic rate and impairs the release of enzymes. This makes the body store more calories than it expands. Despite the usual food and fitness regimes, men still gain weight and find it difficult to curb the same.

CONSTIPATION – Hypothyroidism results in slow and decreased gut motility which in turn results in constipation. Due to delayed gastric emptying and motility, 50% of the people suffering from hypothyroidism develop bacterial growth in small intestine that leads to constipation & bloating.

MUSCLE & JOINT PAIN – The problem of thyroid is also the leading cause of many other problems such as joint pain, weakness, aches, stiffness, and muscle cramps. This can be due to the abnormal accumulation of glycogen and changes in muscle enzymes activity.

HIGH CHOLESTEROL – 50 percent of the people with hypothyroidism experience low cholesterol. This means that hypothyroidism slows down the process of elimination of triglycerides and cholesterol from the body. Treatment of thyroid in the form of medication can help normalize these levels.

TREATMENT OF THYROID DISEASE

• In case of hyperthyroidism antithyroid drugs that prevents thyroid from producing hormones is recommended. If the need persist, the surgery can be performed to remove your thyroid gland.
• For the treatment of hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone pills are recommended. Make sure that the dosage is right.
• There’s no known cure for Hashimoto’s disease. Hormone replacing medication is often used to raise thyroid hormone levels or lower TSH levels.
• In case of Grave’s Disease too, there is no such treatment to stop the immune system from attacking the thyroid gland and causing it to overproduce hormones.

The department of Thyroid Surgery UAE at Al Zahara Hospital have myriad of treatments to help cure conditions of thyroid in Abu Dhabi. Our doctors have decades of experience treating thyroid conditions, including hypothyroidism, an underactive or overactive thyroid, and thyroid cancers.