Читать книгу The Healthy Thyroid: What you can do to prevent and alleviate thyroid imbalance - Patsy Westcott - Страница 55

Like hypothyroidism, untreated hyperthyroidism can damage the heart. The palpitations Maria describes are a common feature, caused by an overactivity of the heart muscle that causes the pulse to accelerate; this can lead to palpitations and an irregular heartbeat, called atrial fibrillation (see Chapter 10), especially in older women. Breathlessness is another common symptom and this, too, is sometimes misdiagnosed as asthma or bronchitis. The slightest exertion can bring on an attack.

An overactive thyroid can also disturb your body’s calcium balance, accelerating the natural rate of bone loss. Bone is a living tissue that is constantly being built up and broken down. Thyroid overactivity speeds up the breakdown part of this natural cycle. This, in turn, can lead to thinning of the bones (osteopenia) and an increased risk of osteoporosis when you are older.

Weakness as a result of wasting of the muscles is another problem for about half of all hyperthyroid sufferers. As Sarah remembers:

I am a marathon runner, but I just couldn’t run at all. If I got down on the floor, someone had to help me up.

Very rarely – and particularly in those who are Asian – people with an overactive thyroid can experience periodic paralysis, attacks of profound muscle weakness or paralysis brought on by eating sugary or starchy foods. This is due to a disturbance of the body’s ability to maintain a constant concentration of potassium in the blood.