See also…
Graves'
Disease
Hashimoto's
Disease
What is the thyroid
and why should I worry about it?
The
thyroid is a small gland in the neck, just under the Adam's
apple. Shaped like a butterfly, the thyroid plays an important
role in a person's health and affects every organ, tissue, and
cell in the body. It makes hormones that help to regulate the
body's metabolism (how the body uses and stores energy from
foods eaten) and organ functions. When the thyroid is not working
properly (called thyroid disorder), it can affect your body
weight, energy level, muscle strength, skin health, menstrual
cycle (periods), memory, heart rate, and cholesterol level.
Thyroid disorders happen: when the thyroid gland is not as active
as it should be (called underactive thyroid); when the thyroid
is more active than it should be (called overactive thyroid);
or when the thyroid is enlarged (called goiter or nodule). People
with thyroid enlargement can have underactive, overactive or
normal thyroid function. Thyroid disorders are much more common
in women than in men. About 1 out of every 8 American women
will develop a thyroid disorder. Underactive or overactive thyroid
can be found with a simple blood test (called a thyroid stimulating
hormone or TSH test), and is most often treated with medication
and sometimes surgery or radioactive iodine.
What are
the different types of thyroid disorders?
Thyroid
disorders include:
Hypothyroidism
(underactive thyroid). This is the most common type of thyroid
disorder, where the thyroid makes too little of the thyroid
hormone that your body needs to function properly. It is most
often caused by Hashimoto's disease. With this disease, the
body's immune system (which normally protects you from disease)
thinks the thyroid is a foreign invader and tries to destroy
the thyroid. When damage is done to the thyroid, it can become
larger (called goiter). Not getting enough iodine in a person's
diet can also cause hypothyroidism, but this is more common
outside of the United States (in the U.S., many products such
as salt and bread are supplemented with iodine, making iodine
deficiency rare).
Being
female, over 40 years of age, having a close family member with
thyroid disease, and recently having had a baby are things that
can increase the chance of getting hypothyroidism.
Hyperthyroidism
(overactive thyroid). When the thyroid gland is overactive,
it makes too much of the thyroid hormone that your body needs
to be healthy. This condition affects women more than men. In
young women, hyperthyroidism is most often caused by Graves'
disease. With this disease, the body's immune system tricks
the thyroid into making too much thyroid hormone. The entire
thyroid becomes enlarged and overactive. Older women may get
another form of hyperthyroidism (toxic nodular goiter), where
overactive thyroid cells group together and form a lump in the
neck (called a thyroid nodule) that makes more of the thyroid
hormone than the body needs. Some thyroid disorders initially
cause overactive thyroid, but at a later point in time cause
underactive thyroid, due to damage done to the thyroid gland.
Postpartum
thyroiditis. After giving birth, a woman's thyroid can swell
and become larger or inflamed. This can cause changing levels
of thyroid hormone in the body. Sometimes high levels can be
followed by low levels of thyroid hormone. After 6 months or
less, this condition usually goes away with no permanent damage
to the thyroid. While common, thyroid disorders after pregnancy
are often hard to detect since some of the symptoms, such as
having trouble sleeping, fatigue, depression, or weight change
are viewed as normal when a woman has a new baby. The symptoms
can also be mild. Usually only short-term treatment is required
until the thyroid recovers normal function. Sometimes after
pregnancy, a woman can get hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid),
which persists and needs long-term treatment with medication.
Thyroid
cancer. This type of cancer is most often found as a lump (or
nodule) in the thyroid gland. It is not a common type of cancer
and most thyroid nodules are benign (not cancer). Other signs
of thyroid cancer include swelling in the lymph nodes of the
neck and trouble swallowing or breathing. Although anyone can
get thyroid cancer, people who as children had head or neck
x-ray treatments for tonsillitis or other conditions (from about
the 1920s to the 1960s) are more likely to get this cancer.
It is treated with surgery, which removes the cancer, sometimes
followed by radioactive iodine therapy, which kills the cancer.
What are
the signs of a thyroid disorder?
It
can be hard to tell if you have a thyroid disorder because these
disorders can have signs that are common and often confused
with other conditions. If you think you have a thyroid disorder,
talk with your health care provider and ask if a blood test
for a thyroid disorder is indicated. A simple blood test measures
thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH, to find overactive and
underactive thyroid disorders.
Signs of hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid,
include:
Fatigue
Weight gain
Mood swings
Forgetfulness
Hoarse voice
Dry, coarse skin and hair
Trouble swallowing
Not being able to stand the cold
Increased cholesterol
Heavy or irregular periods or trouble getting pregnant
An enlarged thyroid (goiter)
Signs of hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, include:
Weight
loss
Feeling irritable and nervous
Weakness in muscles and tremors
Having menstrual periods that are not regular
Troubled, or disturbed sleep
Problems seeing or eye irritations
Having an enlarged thyroid (goiter)
Not being able to stand the heat
Palpitations or rapid heart beats
Frequent bowel movements
How are thyroid
disorders treated?
Thyroid disease can be treated with medication alone or with
surgery, radioactive iodine or a combination of these treatments.
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) is treated with thyroid
replacement therapy. A synthetic hormone is taken daily to increase
the amount of thyroid hormone in a person's body. The drug most
health care providers prescribe is levothyroxine sodium. This
is the same hormone the thyroid normally makes. Treatment for
hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) aims to decrease the amount
of thyroid hormone in a person's body. This is done through
medications that block the formation and release of thyroid
hormone into the body or with radioactive iodine treatment,
which destroys the overactive thyroid tissue. Surgery can also
be done to remove part or all of the thyroid gland, but this
is usually done to remove a nodule rather than to treat overactive
thyroid. If you have ever had a thyroid disorder, it is important
to check your thyroid levels with your health care provider
on a regular basis.
For more information...
You can find out more about thyroid disorders by contacting
the National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC) at 1-800-994-9662
or the following organizations:
Office of Scientific and Health Information
Phone Number(s): (301) 496-3583
Internet Address: http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
Thyroid Foundation of America, Inc.
Phone Number(s): (800) 832-8321
Internet Address: http://www.tsh.org/
The American Thyroid Association
Phone Number(s): N/A
Internet Address: http://www.thyroid.org/
American Foundation of Thyroid Patients
Phone Number(s): (281) 855-6608
Internet Address: http://www.thyroidfoundation.org/
The Thyroid Society for Education and Research
Phone Number(s): (800) 849-7643
Internet Address: http://www.the-thyroid-society.org
Endocrine Society
Phone Number(s): (301) 941-0200
Internet Address: http://www.endo-society.org/
All material contained in the FAQs is free of
copyright restrictions, and may be copied, reproduced, or duplicated
without permission of the Office on Women's Health in the Department
of Health and Human Services; citation of the source is appreciated
