Radioactive Iodine Therapy
Radioactive Iodine Therapy is frequently selected for treatment of hyperthyroidism because of its simplicity and lack of side effects. The treatment is given in only a single dose, as a capsule or dissolved in water. It is absorbed rapidly by the stomach and intestines, and then passed in the bloodstream to the thyroid, where it is absorbed by the gland. While in the thyroid gland, the radioactive iodine disrupts the function of some of the thyroid cells. As the cells cease to function, excessive amounts of thyroid hormones stop producing, and symptoms of hyperthyroidism begin to vanish.