Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much of the hormone thyroxine. Hyperthyroidism can accelerate the body’s metabolism, causing intense weight loss and a rapid or irregular heartbeat.

SYMPTOMS

• Severe   weight loss, even when the appetite and food intake stay the same or increase
• Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) — commonly more than 100 beats a minute
• Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
• Pounding of your heart (palpitations)
• Increased appetite
• Nervousness, anxiety and irritability
• Tremor — usually a fine trembling in your hands and fingers
• Sweating
• Changes in menstrual patterns
• Increased sensitivity to heat
• Changes in bowel patterns, especially more frequent bowel movements
• An enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), which may appear as a swelling at the base of your neck
• Fatigue, muscle weakness
• Difficulty sleeping
• Skin thinning
• Fine, brittle hair    

Graves’ ophthalmopathy

Sometimes an uncommon problem called Graves’ ophthalmopathy may affect your eyes, especially if you smoke. This disorder makes your eyeballs protrude beyond their normal protective orbits when the tissues and muscles behind your eyes swell. Eye problems often improve without treatment.

Signs and symptoms of Graves’ ophthalmopathy include:

• Dry eyes
• Red or swollen eyes
• Excessive tearing or discomfort in one or both eyes
• Light sensitivity, blurry or double vision, inflammation, or reduced eye movement
• Protruding eyeballs 

CAUSES 

Hyperthyroidism can be caused by a number of conditions, including Graves’ disease, Plummer’s disease and thyroiditis.

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck, just below the Adam’s apple – in case of men. The thyroid gland has an enormous impact on the health. Every aspect of the metabolism is regulated by thyroid hormones.

The thyroid gland produces two main hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) that influence every cell in the body. They maintain the rate at which your body uses fats and carbohydrates, help control your body temperature, influence your heart rate, and help regulate the production of protein. The thyroid also produces a hormone that helps regulate the amount of calcium in your blood (calcitonin). 

Reasons for too much thyroxine (T4)

Normally, the thyroid releases the right amount of hormones, but sometimes it produces too much T4. This may occur for a number of reasons, including:

• Graves’ disease: Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies produced by the immune system stimulate the thyroid to produce too much T4. It’s the most common cause of hyperthyroidism.
• Hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules (toxic adenoma, toxic multinodular goiter or Plummer’s disease): This form of hyperthyroidism occurs when one or more adenomas of the thyroid produce too much T4. An adenoma is a part of the gland that has walled itself off from the rest of the gland, forming noncancerous (benign) lumps that may cause an enlargement of the thyroid.
• Thyroiditis: Sometimes the thyroid gland can become inflamed after pregnancy, due to an autoimmune condition or for unknown reasons. The inflammation can cause excess thyroid hormone stored in the gland to leak into your bloodstream. Some types of thyroiditis may cause pain, while others are painless.

COMPLICATIONS

• Heart problems
• Brittle bones 
• Eye problems 
• Red, swollen skin
• Thyrotoxic crisis  

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES  

Natrum muriaticum: It is a natural medicine used for treating Hyperthyroidism mainly for patients who are irritated very easily and get upset over little things. The person remains depressed with weeping when alone and it always gets aggravated when someone tries to console. The persons requiring this medicine feel very hot and cannot bear the heat of sun. They suffer from severe headaches when exposed to sun. An unusual craving for salt in excess is always present in a person who is recommended this medicine. Another important symptom guiding towards using remedy Natrum Muriaticum is when a Hyperthyroid patient keeps on losing weight despite having regular and proper meals. The person looks very weak, especially around the neck region. The patient feels very weak especially in morning when in bed. The heart rate always remains on the higher side. This natural medicine can also help in regularising the menstrual cycle in women with Hyperthyroidism whose menses remain suppressed for too long.

Lachesis: It is of great help for patients of Hyperthyroidism who suffer from the sensation of the body feeling extremely hot. Such patients cannot wear tight clothes and always keep their collars around the neck and the belt around the waist loose. For the prescription of this natural medicine, the mental symptoms that are usually considered are sadness with an aversion to do any kind of work. The person does not wish to minglr and wants to go somewhere alone. Excessive talkativeness is a leading mind symptom for the use of Lachesis mutus. It is also the remedy for women of menopause age suffering from Hyperthyroidism. The women complain of excessive hot flushes and palpitations. The menstrual flow is very less and the duration is also short. Feeling of wellness during menses is an important feature for its use in women. Another leading feature is complaint of pounding of heart or palpitations with episodes of fainting. Worsening of the condition during sleep is a prominent symptom for the use of this medicine in Hyperthyroid patients.

Phosphorus: It is another top natural medicine for treatment of Hyperthyroidism. This remedy is of great help for tall and thin patients who are very sensitive to external impressions like touch, odour, light. This medicine can be used for treating longstanding diarrhoea in patients of Hyperthyroidism. The patient complains of very profuse and offensive stool with weakness of extreme degree. Appetite of such persons increases and they feel hungry immediately after eating. Another sphere where this medicine proves to be useful in patients of Hyperthyroidism is in controlling excessive hairfall where the patient complains of falling of hair in bunches. Certain peculiar eating habits also give a hint in using this medicine in Hyperthyroid patients like a craving for meat, salty things, cold drinks and ice creams.

Conium maculatum: It is a very beneficial natural remedy for patients of Hyperthyroidism who are very depressed and do not take any interest in work. The patient gets irritated easily and suffers from weakness of memory. This medicine works well for patients who experience trembling in hands along with perspiration on hands. Conium maculatum is also a useful cure for menstrual problems faced by women due to Hyperthyroidism where the menses appear late and that too for a short time and are very scanty in nature.