Hyperthyroidism

A small part in your neck works too hard.

This part makes too much of a special juice. This juice tells your body how to work. When there is too much, your body goes too fast. Your heart might beat very fast. You might feel very hot or shaky. You may even lose weight. Some people's eyes may look like they bulge out. Doctors use blood tests to help. They can use medicine or surgery to help you. This helps your body feel normal again.

Your thyroid is a small gland in your neck.

It makes hormones that tell your cells how to work. Hyperthyroidism happens when the thyroid makes too much of these hormones. This makes your body systems speed up.

Many people feel different signs. You might have a fast heartbeat or shaky hands. Some people feel very hot or lose weight. In Graves' disease, the eyes may bulge forward. This is called exophthalmos. This disease is a common cause of hyperthyroidism. Other causes include eating too much iodine. Some people also get it from a tumor.

Doctors use blood tests to check for this. They look for low levels of TSH. TSH is a signal from your brain. It tells the thyroid to work. If TSH is low, the thyroid is working too hard.

There are three main ways to treat it. Doctors may use pills to slow things down. They may use radioiodine therapy. This uses a special type of iodine to destroy part of the gland. Some people need surgery to remove the thyroid.

Hyperthyroidism is a condition where your thyroid gland makes too much hormone. The thyroid is a small gland in your neck. These hormones are very important for your cells. They help control how your body works. When there is too much hormone, your body systems speed up. This can feel like having too much adrenaline in your blood. It can cause a fast heartbeat or shaky hands. Some people also feel very hot or lose weight quickly.

This happens through many different ways. One common cause is Graves' disease. This is an autoimmune disease where the body's own systems cause the problem. Other causes include a multinodular goiter or a toxic adenoma. Sometimes, inflammation of the thyroid can cause it. Eating too much iodine can also be a reason. In rare cases, a small growth called a pituitary adenoma can cause it. Even eating meat contaminated with thyroid tissue can cause it.

Doctors use several ways to find the cause. They often start with a blood test. They look for low levels of thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH. TSH is a signal from the brain that tells the thyroid to work. If TSH is low, it means the thyroid is working too hard. Doctors might also use a thyroid scan. They can also measure special antibodies in the blood. These tests help them see if Graves' disease is the cause.

There are three main ways to treat the condition. One way is radioiodine therapy. A person takes iodine-131 by mouth. This iodine goes to the thyroid and destroys it over weeks or months. Another way is using medications. Some pills, like beta blockers, help control symptoms. Other pills, like methimazole, help slow the thyroid down. The third way is thyroid surgery. Doctors may remove the thyroid if it is very large.

Many people live with this condition. In the United States, it affects about 1.2% of people. Around the world, it affects 2.5% of adults. It is much more common in women than in men. It happens two to ten times more often in females. Most people start seeing symptoms between 20 and 50 years old. However, it is most common in people over age 60. Some people may even face a serious emergency called a thyroid storm. This is a very rare but dangerous event.

Hyperthyroidism is an endocrine disease involving the thyroid gland. This small gland sits in the neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are vital for the normal function of cells. In hyperthyroidism, the gland produces excessive amounts of these hormones. This state can lead to thyrotoxicosis, which is the condition of having elevated hormone levels. While some people use these terms interchangeably, they describe slightly different things. Hyperthyroidism specifically refers to the overproduction by the gland itself.

Excess thyroid hormone affects the entire body by overstimulating metabolism. It also disrupts the sympathetic nervous system. This disruption causes various body systems to speed up. The resulting symptoms often resemble an overdose of epinephrine, which is also known as adrenaline. This can cause a fast heartbeat or palpitations. It can also lead to hand tremors and anxiety. The digestive system may experience hypermotility, which often results in diarrhea. Many people also experience unintended weight loss despite having a good appetite.

There are several distinct causes for this condition. Graves' disease is the most common cause. It accounts for about 50% to 80% of cases in the United States. This is an autoimmune disease. Other causes include a multinodular goiter or a toxic adenoma. A toxic adenoma is a single nodule that secretes excess hormone. Inflammation of the thyroid, called thyroiditis, can also cause it. Some people may consume too much iodine or synthetic thyroid hormone. A rare cause is a pituitary adenoma, which is a growth on the pituitary gland.

Doctors use specific tests to diagnose hyperthyroidism and find its cause. They often start with blood tests to check hormone levels. Typically, these tests show a low thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH. TSH is the signal from the brain that tells the thyroid to work. If the thyroid is overactive, the TSH levels drop. Doctors may also use radioiodine uptake tests or a thyroid scan. They can also measure antithyroid autoantibodies. Finding positive thyroidal thyrotropin receptor antibodies can confirm a diagnosis of Graves' disease.

Treatment depends on the cause and the severity of the disease. There are three main medical options. The first is radioiodine therapy. A patient takes iodine-131 by mouth. This iodine concentrates in the thyroid and destroys it over weeks or months. The resulting hypothyroidism is then treated with synthetic hormone. The second option is medication. Beta blockers can help control symptoms like a fast heart rate. Anti-thyroid medications, such as methimazole, can temporarily help. The third option is thyroid surgery to remove the gland.

Hyperthyroidism affects a specific portion of the global population. In the United States, it affects about 1.2% of people. Worldwide, it affects 2.5% of adults. The condition occurs two to ten times more often in women. Most people experience the onset between 20 and 50 years of age. However, the disease is more common in those over 60 years old. Some patients may face a life-threatening complication called a thyroid storm. This is a medical emergency where symptoms like confusion and high temperature worsen. The mortality rate for a thyroid storm is between 3.6% and 17%.

Long-term effects can impact different body systems. Untreated hyperthyroidism can lead to osteoporosis, which is bone loss. This occurs in 10% to 20% of patients due to increased bone remodeling. In Graves' disease, a specific sign called ophthalmopathy can occur. This causes the eye muscles to swell and push the eyes forward. This protrusion is called exophthalmos. Other ocular signs include eyelid retraction, known as the Dalrymple sign. There is also lid-lag, or von Graefe's sign, where the eyelid fails to follow the iris downward.