Who is likely to get hypothyroidism

But, over time, a faster metabolism can cause symptoms such as:. Hyperthyroidism raises your risk for osteoporosis , a condition that causes weak bones that break easily.

In fact, hyperthyroidism might affect your bones before you have any of the other symptoms of the condition. This is especially true of women who have gone through menopause or who are already at high risk of osteoporosis. Your doctor's choice of treatment will depend on your symptoms and the cause of your hyperthyroidism.

Treatments include:. Thyroiditis thy-roi-DY-tiss is inflammation of the thyroid. It happens when the body's immune system makes antibodies that attack the thyroid. Two common types of thyroiditis are Hashimoto's disease and postpartum thyroiditis.

Women with postpartum thyroiditis may feel very tired and moody. Postpartum thyroiditis typically happens in two phases, though not everyone with the condition goes through both phases: 4. Your immune system may cause postpartum thyroiditis. If you have an autoimmune disease, like type 1 diabetes , your risk is higher. Treatment for postpartum thyroiditis depends on the phase of the disease and what symptoms you have.

For example, if you get symptoms of hyperthyroidism in the first phase, your treatment may include medicines to slow down the heart rate. In most women who have postpartum thyroiditis, the thyroid returns to normal within 12 to 18 months after symptoms start.

But if you have a history of postpartum thyroiditis, your risk is higher for developing permanent hypothyroidism within 5 to 10 years. A goiter is an unusually enlarged thyroid gland.

It may happen only for a short time and may go away on its own without treatment. Or it could be a symptom of another thyroid disease that requires treatment. Usually, the only symptom of a goiter is a swelling in your neck. It may be large enough that you can see it or feel the lump with your hand.

A very large goiter can also cause a tight feeling in your throat, coughing, or problems swallowing or breathing. Your doctor will do tests to see if it is caused by another thyroid disease. If you do need treatment, medicine should make the thyroid shrink back to near normal size. You may need surgery to take out part or most of the thyroid. A thyroid nodule NAHD-yool is a swelling in one section of the thyroid gland. The nodule may be solid or filled with fluid or blood.

You may have just one thyroid nodule or many. Thyroid nodules are common and affect four times as many women as men. Most thyroid nodules do not cause symptoms and are not cancerous. Sometimes, nodules grow so big that they cause problems with swallowing or breathing.

About one-third of nodules are found by the patient, another third by the doctor, and the other third through an imaging test of the neck. You can sometimes see or feel a thyroid nodule yourself.

Stand in front of a mirror and raise your chin slightly. Look for a bump on either side of your windpipe below your Adam's apple. If the bump moves up and down when you swallow, it may be a thyroid nodule.

Ask your doctor to look at it. Most people with thyroid cancer have a thyroid nodule that does not cause any symptoms.

If you do have symptoms, you may have swelling or a lump in your neck. The lump may cause problems swallowing. Some people get a hoarse voice. To tell if the lump or nodule is cancerous, your doctor will order certain tests.

Most thyroid nodules are not cancerous. For more information about thyroid cancer, visit the National Cancer Institute's thyroid cancer page. About three times as many women get thyroid cancer as men. The number of women with thyroid cancer is also going up. By , the number of women with thyroid cancer is expected to double, from 34, women to more than 70, women.

The main treatment for thyroid cancer is surgery to take out the whole thyroid gland or as much of it as can be safely removed. Surgery alone can cure thyroid cancer if the cancer is small and has not yet spread to lymph nodes. Your doctor may also use radioiodine therapy after surgery. Radioiodine therapy destroys any thyroid cancer cells that were not removed during surgery or that have spread to other parts of the body. Your doctor may also talk with you about other treatments for thyroid cancer.

Learn more about thyroid cancer treatments at the National Cancer Institute. It can be hard to tell if you have a thyroid disease. The symptoms are the same as many other health problems. Your doctor may start by asking about your health history and if any of your family members has had thyroid disease.

Your doctor may also give you a physical exam and check your neck for thyroid nodules. High levels of radioiodine mean that your thyroid makes too much of the thyroid hormone.

Low levels mean that your thyroid does not make enough thyroid hormone. If you are seeing an endocrinologist, ask that copies of your reports be sent to your primary care doctor. There is no cure for hypothyroidism, and most patients have it for life. There are exceptions: many patients with viral thyroiditis have their thyroid function return to normal, as do some patients with thyroiditis after pregnancy.

Hypothyroidism may become more or less severe, and your dose of thyroxine may need to change over time. You have to make a lifetime commitment to treatment. But if you take your pills every day and work with your doctor to get and keep your thyroxine dose right, you should be able to keep your hypothyroidism well controlled throughout your life.

Your symptoms should disappear and the serious effects of low thyroid hormone should improve. If you keep your hypothyroidism well-controlled, it will not shorten your life span. Here are the major causes, from the most to the least common. But in almost every patient, hypothyroidism can be completely controlled.

It is treated by replacing the amount of hormone that your own thyroid can no longer make, to bring your T4 and TSH levels back to normal levels. Synthetic thyroxine pills contain hormone exactly like the T4 that the thyroid gland itself makes.

All hypothyroid patients except those with severe myxedema life-threatening hypothyroidism can be treated as outpatients, not having to be admitted to the hospital. The only dangers of thyroxine are caused by taking too little or too much. If you take too little, your hypothyroidism will continue. The most common symptoms of too much thyroid hormone are fatigue but inability to sleep, greater appetite, nervousness, shakiness, feeling hot when other people are cold, and trouble exercising because of weak muscles, shortness of breath , and a racing, skipping heart.

Patients who have hyperthyroid symptoms at any time during thyroxine replacement therapy should have their TSH tested. If it is low, indicating too much thyroid hormone, their dose needs to be lowered. The goal of treatment is to get and keep your TSH in the normal range. Babies with hypothyroidism must get all their daily treatments and have their TSH levels checked as they grow, to prevent mental retardation and stunted growth.

Women are much more likely than men to develop hypothyroidism. The disease is also more common among people older than age Left untreated, hypothyroidism during pregnancy can affect both mother and baby.

However, thyroid medicines can help prevent problems and are safe to take during pregnancy. Hypothyroidism can contribute to high cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol, you should get tested for hypothyroidism. Myxedema coma requires immediate medical treatment. Hypothyroidism has many symptoms that can vary from person to person. Some common symptoms of hypothyroidism include.

Because hypothyroidism develops slowly, you may not notice symptoms of the disease for months or even years. Many of these symptoms, especially fatigue and weight gain, are common and do not necessarily mean you have a thyroid problem.

Less often, hypothyroidism is caused by too much or too little iodine in the diet or by disorders of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus.

With this disease, your immune system attacks the thyroid. Thyroiditis, an inflammation of your thyroid, causes stored thyroid hormone to leak out of your thyroid gland. The thyrotoxicosis may last for many months. After that, your thyroid may become underactive and, over time, the condition may become permanent, requiring thyroid hormone replacement. Some babies are born with a thyroid that is not fully developed or does not work properly.

You usually need to have regular blood tests to find out whether you are receiving the correct amount of thyroid hormone. Children who have hypothyroidism also need to see a doctor regularly, because the amount of thyroid hormone medicine they need changes as they grow.

Untreated hypothyroidism in infants and very young children can have severe consequences. As soon as you think your child is able to understand usually around age 9 or 10 , teach him or her about hypothyroidism, the importance of taking medicine correctly, and why regular health checkups are important.

Some health food stores in the United States sell "natural" forms of thyroid hormone. The quality and effectiveness of these natural agents are unregulated.

Some may not work at all. Others may have an active ingredient that does work but that may be dangerous to certain people. Thyroid hormone medicine is the only effective way to treat hypothyroidism. In most cases, thyroid hormone medicine:. People who have hypothyroidism need treatment with thyroid hormone medicine.

Depending on the cause of their hypothyroidism, they may need treatment for the rest of their lives. Taking certain supplements, such as calcium or iron or both , at the same time as thyroid hormone medicine may reduce the amount of thyroid hormone medicine absorbed by the body.

Take calcium supplements at least 4 hours before or after taking thyroid hormone medicine. Also avoid taking iron supplements at the same time as thyroid medicine.

Talk to your doctor about whether you need to change your dose of thyroid medicine if you also take birth control pills or other hormones. You may need to take more thyroid hormone medicine than you would if you were not taking these hormones. Follow-up visits with your doctor are important to make sure that you are taking the correct dose of medicine.

Most people have blood tests 6 to 8 weeks after starting treatment. After thyroid hormone levels return to normal, thyroid function tests are typically rechecked once a year. Kim MD - Endocrinology. Author: Healthwise Staff. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.

Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Updated visitor guidelines. You are here Home » Hypothyroidism. Top of the page. Condition Overview Is this topic for you? What is hypothyroidism? What causes hypothyroidism? What are the symptoms?

Hypothyroidism can cause many different symptoms, such as: Feeling tired, weak, or depressed. Dry skin and brittle nails. Not being able to stand the cold. Memory problems or having trouble thinking clearly. Heavy or irregular menstrual periods.

How is hypothyroidism diagnosed? How is it treated? Cause In the United States, the most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Other common causes of hypothyroidism include: Thyroid surgery. Part or all of the thyroid gland may be removed to treat disorders such as having too much thyroid hormone hyperthyroidism , an enlarged thyroid gland goiter that makes swallowing difficult, thyroid cancer, or thyroid nodules that may be overactive or cancerous.

Hypothyroidism results when the thyroid gland is removed or when remaining thyroid tissue does not function properly. Radioactive iodine therapy, which is often used to treat hyperthyroidism. Radioactive iodine therapy can destroy the thyroid gland, leading to hypothyroidism. External beam radiation, which is used to treat some cancers, such as Hodgkin lymphoma.

This radiation treatment can destroy the thyroid gland. Less common causes include: Infections. Viral and bacterial infections can temporarily damage the thyroid gland.

This causes a short-term form of the condition. Hypothyroidism caused by infection usually does not result in permanent hypothyroidism.

Some medicines can interfere with normal production of thyroid hormone. Lithium is one of the most common medicines that causes hypothyroidism. Others include amiodarone and interferon alfa such as Intron A or Roferon A. In rare cases, disorders of the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus secondary and tertiary forms of hypothyroidism.

The pituitary gland and hypothalamus produce hormones that control the thyroid and, as a result, affect its ability to produce thyroid hormone. Excessive iodine, which, in food or medicines, can reduce the function of the thyroid gland. This is usually temporary.

Congenital hypothyroidism. In rare cases, an infant is born without a properly functioning thyroid gland. All children born in a hospital in the U. Symptoms Symptoms of hypothyroidism usually appear slowly over months or years.

Symptoms and signs may include: Coarse and thinning hair. Dry skin. Brittle nails. A yellowish tint to the skin. Slow body movements. Cold skin. Inability to tolerate cold. Feeling tired, sluggish, or weak. Memory problems, depression, or problems concentrating. Heavy or irregular menstrual periods that may last longer than 5 to 7 days. Some less common symptoms may include: An enlarged thyroid gland goiter. Modest weight gain, often 10 lb 4. Swelling of the arms, hands, legs, and feet, and facial puffiness, particularly around the eyes.

Muscle aches and cramps. Symptoms of hypothyroidism in infants, children, and teens Although rare, hypothyroidism can occur in infants, children, and teens.