Your thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland located at the front of your neck. It is responsible for making several different hormones that control processes in your body and brain, such as your heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, metabolism, and mood.
There are two main types of thyroid disorders. Hypothyroidism occurs when your thyroid doesn’t make enough thyroid hormones and your body and mind slow down. Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid makes high levels of thyroid hormones, causing body processes to speed up.
Hypothyroidism — an underactive thyroid — can lead to:
Hyperthyroidism — an overactive thyroid — causes opposite symptoms, including:
There are several disorders that affect the thyroid in different ways, leading to hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
Thyroiditis occurs when there is ongoing inflammation in this gland. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease are autoimmune disorders — they develop when the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid. Thyroid nodules or tumours are small bumps that grow on the thyroid.
Thyroid disorders sometimes develop during or after pregnancy, but they often go away within a year of giving birth.
An imbalance in iodine levels can also cause thyroid disorders because the thyroid uses this mineral to make hormones. Too little iodine causes a drop in hormone levels, while too much triggers the thyroid to produce more hormones than it should.
Although thyroid disease can affect anyone, women get this condition about five to eight times more often than men. Your risk of thyroid disorders can also increase:
Other medical conditions can also increase your chances of developing thyroid diseases, including type 1 diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Turner syndrome, and anaemia.
Blood tests can easily measure the levels of thyroid hormones, telling you whether your thyroid is underactive or overactive. Examples of thyroid blood tests include TSH, T4, T3, and thyroglobulin.
Your doctor may also use imaging tests such as thyroid scans or ultrasounds to see how big your thyroid is and determine whether it has any growths.
Because hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid doesn’t make enough hormones, adding these hormones back into the body can help treat the disease and relieve symptoms. Thyroid replacement medications contain laboratory-made hormones that have the same effects in your body as typical thyroid hormones.
Hyperthyroidism is treated with therapies that lower hormone levels. Options may include:
If you have a thyroid disorder, you will likely need to take medication for the rest of your life. Once you find a medication that works for you, you will generally be able to live a completely normal life.