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Hyperthyroidism (Overactive Thyroid)

On this page:

• What is hyperthyroidism?
• How common is hyperthyroidism?
• Who is more than likely to develop hyperthyroidism?
• Is hyperthyroidism during pregnancy a problem?
• What are the complications of hyperthyroidism?
• What are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism?
• What causes hyperthyroidism?
• How do doctors diagnose hyperthyroidism?
• How do doctors treat hyperthyroidism?
• How does eating, diet, and diet affect hyperthyroidism?
• Clinical Trials for Hyperthyroidism

What is hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism, also chosen overactive thyroid, is when the thyroid gland makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. Thyroid hormones control the way the body uses energy, so they bear on well-nigh every organ in your trunk, even the mode your heart beats. With likewise much thyroid hormone, many of your body's functions speed up.

The thyroid is a small gland in your neck that makes thyroid hormones.

How common is hyperthyroidism?

About 1 out of 100 Americans ages 12 years and older have hyperthyroidism.¹

Who is more than likely to develop hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism is more mutual in women and people older than 60.ⁱⁱ Y'all are more likely to have hyperthyroidism if yous

• have a family history of thyroid disease
• have other health problems, including
  • pernicious anemia, a condition caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency
  • type 1 or type 2 diabetes
  • primary adrenal insufficiency, a disorder of hormones
• eat large amounts of food containing iodine, such as kelp
• use medicines that incorporate iodine
• apply nicotine products³
• were meaning inside the past 6 months

Is hyperthyroidism during pregnancy a problem?

Mild hyperthyroidism during pregnancy is usually not a problem. But severe hyperthyroidism during pregnancy, when untreated, can affect both the female parent and the baby. If you take hyperthyroidism and programme to get pregnant or get pregnant, piece of work with your doctor to get the affliction under control.

Be sure your hyperthyroidism is under control earlier becoming pregnant.

What are the complications of hyperthyroidism?

Untreated, hyperthyroidism can cause serious health issues, including

• an irregular heartbeat that tin can lead to claret clots, stroke, center failure, and other center-related bug
• an centre affliction chosen Graves' ophthalmopathy
• thinning bones, osteoporosis, and muscle issues
• menstrual cycle and fertility issues

What are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism?

Symptoms of hyperthyroidism can vary from person to person and may include⁴

• weight loss despite an increased appetite
• rapid or irregular heartbeat
• nervousness, irritability, trouble sleeping, fatigue
• shaky hands, muscle weakness
• sweating or trouble tolerating oestrus
• frequent bowel movements
• an enlargement in the neck, called a goiter

In older adults, hyperthyroidism is sometimes mistaken for low or dementia. Older adults may accept different symptoms, such as loss of ambition or withdrawal from people, than younger adults with hyperthyroidism. Yous may desire to ask your doctor about hyperthyroidism if you or your loved ane shows these symptoms.

What causes hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism has several causes, including

• Graves' affliction
• overactive thyroid nodules
• inflammation of the thyroid gland, called thyroiditis
• too much iodine
• too much thyroid hormone medicine
• a noncancerous tumor of the pituitary gland

Graves' disease

Graves' disease, the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, is an autoimmune disorder. With this affliction, your allowed system attacks the thyroid and causes it to brand also much thyroid hormone.

Overactive thyroid nodules

Overactive thyroid nodules, or lumps in your thyroid, are mutual and commonly non malignant. However, one or more nodules may become overactive and produce also much thyroid hormone. Overactive nodules are institute virtually often in older adults.

Thyroiditis

Thyroiditis is inflammation of your thyroid gland. Some types of thyroiditis tin can cause thyroid hormone to leak out of your thyroid gland into your bloodstream. As a result, you may develop symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

The types of thyroiditis that tin cause hyperthyroidism include

• subacute thyroiditis, which involves a painfully inflamed and enlarged thyroid.
• postpartum thyroiditis, which can develop later on a woman gives nascency.
• painless thyroiditis, which is like to postpartum thyroiditis, but occurs in the absence of pregnancy. Your thyroid may exist enlarged. Experts call back painless thyroiditis is probably an autoimmune condition.

Thyroiditis can likewise cause symptoms of hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid. In some cases, later on your thyroid is overactive for a period of fourth dimension, information technology may become underactive.

As well much iodine

Your thyroid uses iodine to make thyroid hormone. How much iodine y'all consume affects how much thyroid hormone your thyroid makes. In some people, consuming large amounts of iodine may cause the thyroid to brand likewise much thyroid hormone.

Some cough syrups and medicines, including some center medicines, may contain a lot of iodine. Seaweed and seaweed-based supplements also comprise a lot of iodine.

Too much thyroid hormone medicine

Some people who take thyroid hormone medicine for hypothyroidism may take also much. If you take thyroid hormone medicine, see your doctor at least once a yr to have your thyroid hormone levels checked. You may demand to adjust your dose if your doctor finds your thyroid hormone level is also high.

Some other medicines may also interact with thyroid hormone medicine and raise hormone levels. If you have thyroid hormone medicine, enquire your md about interactions when starting new medicines.

Noncancerous tumor

In some rare cases, a noncancerous tumor of the pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain, tin cause hyperthyroidism.

How exercise doctors diagnose hyperthyroidism?

Your physician will take a medical history and perform a physical exam. A hyperthyroidism diagnosis can't be based on symptoms lonely because many of its symptoms are the same every bit those of other diseases. That's why your md may use several thyroid blood tests and imaging tests to confirm the diagnosis and find its cause.

Because hyperthyroidism tin can cause fertility problems, women who accept trouble getting significant ofttimes get tested for thyroid bug.

A blood test might confirm a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism.

How practise doctors treat hyperthyroidism?

Your md will treat your hyperthyroidism to bring your thyroid hormone levels back to normal. Treating the disease will prevent long-term health bug, and it will relieve uncomfortable symptoms. No single handling works for everyone.

Your treatment depends on what's causing your hyperthyroidism and how astringent it is. When recommending a treatment, your md will consider

• your age
• possible allergies to or side effects of the medicines
• other conditions, such as pregnancy or heart disease
• whether y'all have access to an experienced thyroid surgeon

Handling options

Hyperthyroidism is usually treated with medicines, radioiodine therapy, or thyroid surgery.

Medicines

Beta-blockers. Beta-blockers are drugs that cake the activeness of substances, such as adrenaline, on nerve cells. They crusade claret vessels to relax and widen.

• Pros
  • They can reduce symptoms—such as tremors, rapid heartbeat, and nervousness—until other treatments kickoff working.
  • They tin make you feel better inside hours.
• Cons
  • They don't finish thyroid hormone production.

Antithyroid medicines. Antithyroid therapy is the simplest way to care for hyperthyroidism. Methimazole is used most ofttimes. Propylthiouracil is oft used for women during the commencement 3 months of pregnancy because methimazole can, on rare occasions, damage the fetus.

• Pros
  • They cause the thyroid to make less thyroid hormone.
  • Some patients' symptoms from Graves' disease may go away temporarily after taking antithyroid drugs.
• Cons
  • Antithyroid medicines can cause side effects, including
    • allergic reactions, such as rashes and itching
    • a decrease in the number of white blood cells in your body, which can lower resistance to infection
    • liver failure, in rare cases
  • Antithyroid medicines
    • don't provide a permanent cure, but they may permit symptoms to get away temporarily in the case of Graves' disease
    • may take several weeks or months for thyroid hormone levels to move into the normal range
    • take well-nigh 1–ii years of total average handling time, simply can continue for many years
    • are non used to treat hyperthyroidism caused by thyroiditis

Seek care right away

Call your medico right abroad if you accept any of the following symptoms

• fatigue or weakness
• dull pain in your abdomen
• loss of appetite
• skin rash, itching, or piece of cake bruising
• yellowing of your skin or whites of your eyes, called jaundice
• constant sore pharynx
• fever, chills, or constant sore throat

Antithyroid therapy is the easiest way to care for hyperthyroidism.

Radioiodine therapy

Radioiodine therapy is a common and constructive treatment. You can accept radioactive iodine-131 past mouth as a capsule or liquid.

• Pros
  • Radioiodine therapy slowly destroys the cells of the thyroid gland that produce thyroid hormone.
  • Radioiodine therapy does not bear upon other body tissues.
• Cons
  • You might need more than than one treatment to bring thyroid hormone levels into the normal range, but beta-blockers can command symptoms between treatments.
  • Radioiodine therapy isn't used for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. It can harm the fetus' thyroid and tin can exist passed from mother to child in breast milk.

Almost everyone who gets radioiodine therapy after develops hypothyroidism. Merely hypothyroidism is easier to treat than hyperthyroidism past using a daily thyroid hormone medicine, and it causes fewer long-term health problems.

Taking radioactive iodine-131 is a mutual and effective treatment.

Thyroid surgery

Surgery to remove part or near of the thyroid gland is used less often to treat hyperthyroidism. Sometimes doctors employ surgery to treat people with large goiters or pregnant women who cannot accept antithyroid medicines.

• Pros
  • When function of the thyroid is removed, your thyroid hormone levels may return to normal.
• Cons
  • Thyroid surgery requires general anesthesia, which can cause a condition called thyroid storm—a sudden, severe worsening of symptoms. Taking antithyroid medicines before surgery tin aid prevent this problem.

When role of your thyroid is removed, y'all may develop hypothyroidism afterwards surgery and demand to take thyroid hormone medicine. If your whole thyroid is removed, you will need to take thyroid hormone medicine for life. Afterward surgery, your dr. will go along to cheque your thyroid hormone levels.

In some cases, doctors use surgery to remove part or most of the thyroid gland.

Researchers are looking into new ways to care for hyperthyroidism. An example is radiofrequency ablation (RFA), a new approach to treating thyroid nodules that cause hyperthyroidism.^5,6 RFA is used mainly in cases where medicines or surgery won't help, and is not withal widely available.

How does eating, diet, and nutrition affect hyperthyroidism?

Your thyroid uses iodine to make thyroid hormones. If you have Graves' disease or another autoimmune thyroid disorder, you may be sensitive to harmful side effects from iodine. Eating foods that take big amounts of iodine—such equally kelp, dulse, or other kinds of seaweed—may cause or worsen hyperthyroidism. Taking iodine supplements can take the same effect. Talk with members of your health care team about

• what foods to limit or avoid
• any iodine supplements you take
• whatsoever coughing syrups or multivitamins you take because they may contain iodine

Clinical Trials for Hyperthyroidism

The NIDDK conducts and supports clinical trials in many diseases and conditions, including endocrine diseases. The trials look to observe new ways to prevent, detect, or care for disease and meliorate quality of life.

What are clinical trials for hyperthyroidism?

Clinical trials—and other types of clinical studies—are function of medical research and involve people similar you. When you volunteer to take part in a clinical written report, you assist doctors and researchers acquire more about illness and meliorate health intendance for people in the futurity.

Researchers are studying many aspects of hyperthyroidism, such as its natural history, clinical presentation, and genetics.

Find out if clinical studies are correct for you.

Picket a video of NIDDK Manager Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers explaining the importance of participating in clinical trials.

What clinical studies for hyperthyroidism are looking for participants?

You can view a filtered list of clinical studies on hyperthyroidism that are open up and recruiting at world wide web.ClinicalTrials.gov. You tin aggrandize or narrow the list to include clinical studies from manufacture, universities, and individuals; however, the NIH does not review these studies and cannot ensure they are safe. E'er talk with your wellness care provider before you participate in a clinical written report.

References

Final Reviewed August 2021

This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Wellness. The NIDDK translates and disseminates inquiry findings to increment cognition and understanding well-nigh wellness and disease among patients, wellness professionals, and the public. Content produced by the NIDDK is advisedly reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.

The NIDDK would like to give thanks:
Thanh D. Hoang, D.O., FACP, Face up, Helm (select), Walter Reed National Armed forces Medical Center

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Source: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/hyperthyroidism

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