Description

Hyperthyroidism is a disease caused by an overactive thyroid. The thyroid produces hormones that regulate the body's metabolism. During this time, the pituitary gland produces a different hormone to monitor the production of the thyroid hormone. When the production of the thyroid hormone increases and continues despite the monitoring hormone levels, the thyroid has become overactive.

Signs and Symptoms

• Weight loss with an increase in appetite
• Rapid, irregular, or pounding heartbeat
• Nervousness, anxiety, irritability, or hand tremors
• Increased sensitivity to heat
• Change in bowel patterns
• Fatigue, muscle weakness, and shortness of breath
• Difficulty sleeping

Diagnosis and Treatment

A blood test can be performed to determine the amount of the thyroid hormone in the blood and a diagnosis of the disease can be made with the combination of medical history, physical examination, and hormone tests. Treatment varies due to individual circumstances, including gender, age, physical condition, severity of the disease and other medical conditions of the individual. Treatment options include radioactive iodine, anti-thyroid medication, surgery (also known as thyroidectomy), and beta blockers.

• Radioactive Iodine - taken by mouth to be absorbed by the overactive thyroid cells, causing the cells to shrink and the level of the thyroid hormone to decrease
• Anti-thyroid Medication - taken to block the thyroid's ability to produce hormones
• Thyroidectomy - removal of most of the thyroid gland, most often leading to the development of Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
• Beta Blockers - may be prescribed with all of the above treatments to slow the heart rate and reduce palpitations until the thyroid hormone levels are closer to normal

Impact on Women

Hyperthyroidism is ten times more common in women and it is estimated that one per every thousand women carry the disease in the United States. The function of the thyroid relates strongly to a woman's reproductive system, and an imbalance of the hormone can affect a women's body.

• Puberty - may trigger very early menstruation in girls (before age of ten), or may delay onset of puberty and menstruation (sometimes until after age 15)
• Menstruation - may cause very light, heavy, more frequent or less frequent, irregular, or painful menstrual cycles or may cause an absence of cycles
• Reproduction - may prevent ovulation causing inability to conceive, increased risk for cyst development in the ovaries, and may lead to postpartum thyroid problems
• Menopause - may cause early onset of menopause (before the age of 40 or in the early 40's)

Helpful Resources

• American Thyroid Association 6066 Leesburg Pike, Suite 550, Falls Church, VA 22041. (703) 998-8890. (http://www.thyroid.org/)
• Thyroid Foundation of America 410 Stuart St. Boston, MA 02116. (800) 832-8321. (http://www.allthyroid.org/)
• Our Bodies Ourselves: Women's Health Information 34 Plympton Street Boston, MA 02118. (617) 451-3666. (http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/)

References

• American Thyroid Association (www.thyroid.org)
• Medline Plus (www.nlm.nih.gov)
• Oregon Health And Science University (www.ohsu.edu)
• ParentingEd (www.parentinged.com)
• American Family Physician (www.aafp.org)
• Thyroid-Info (www.thyroid-info.com)