Thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck just below the Adam’s apple. It’s part of an intricate network of glands called the endocrine system. The endocrine system is responsible for coordinating many of your body’s activities. The thyroid gland manufactures hormones that regulate your body’s metabolism.
Several different disorders can arise when your thyroid produces too much hormone (hyperthyroidism) or not enough (hypothyroidism).
Four common disorders of the thyroid are Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves’ disease, goiter, and thyroid nodules.
Hyperthyroidism
In hyperthyroidism, the thyroid gland is overactive. It produces too much of its hormone. Hyperthyroidism affects about 1 percent of women. It’s less common in men.
Graves’ disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, affecting about 70 percent of people with an overactive thyroid. Nodules on the thyroid — a condition called toxic nodular goiter or multinodular goiter — can also cause the gland to overproduce its hormones.
Excessive thyroid hormone production leads to symptoms such as:
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nervousness
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shaking
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thin skin
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bulging eyes (in Graves’ disease)
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is the opposite of hyperthyroidism. The thyroid gland is underactive, and it can’t produce enough of its hormones.
Hypothyroidism is often caused by Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, surgery to remove the thyroid gland, or damage from radiation treatment.
Too little thyroid hormone production leads to symptoms such as:
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increased sensitivity to cold
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. It’s the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States, affecting about 14 million Americans. It can occur at any age, but it’s most common in middle-aged women. The disease occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and slowly destroys the thyroid gland and its ability to produce hormones.
Some people with mild cases of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis may have no obvious symptoms. The disease can remain stable for years, and symptoms are often subtle. They’re also not specific, which means they mimic symptoms of many other conditions. Symptoms include:
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fatigue
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mild weight gain
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dry, thinning hair
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intolerance to cold
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enlarged thyroid, or goiter
Graves’ Disease
Graves’ disease was named for the doctor who first described it more than 150 years ago. It’s the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in the United States, affecting about 1 in 200 people.
Graves’ is an autoimmune disorder that occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland. This can cause the gland to overproduce the hormone responsible for regulating metabolism.
The disease is hereditary and may develop at any age in men or women, but it’s much more common in women ages 20 to 30, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Other risk factors include stress, pregnancy, and smoking.
When there’s a high level of thyroid hormone in your bloodstream, your body’s systems speed up and cause symptoms that are common to hyperthyroidism. These include:
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increased or irregular heartbeat
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excessive sweating
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difficulty sleeping
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altered menstrual cycle
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goiter
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bulging eyes and vision problems
Goiter
Goiter is a noncancerous enlargement of the thyroid gland. The most common cause of goiter worldwide is iodine deficiency in the diet. Researchers estimate that goiter affects 200 million of the 800 million people who are iodine-deficient worldwide.
Conversely, goiter is often caused by — and a symptom of — hyperthyroidism in the United States, where iodized salt provides plenty of iodine.
Goiter can affect anyone at any age, especially in areas of the world where foods rich in iodine are in short supply. However, goiters are more common after the age of 40 and in women, who are more likely to have thyroid disorders. Other risk factors include family medical history, certain medication usage, pregnancy, and radiation exposure.
There might not be any symptoms if the goiter isn’t severe. The goiter may cause one or more of the following symptoms if it grows large enough, depending on the size:
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swelling or tightness in your neck
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difficulties breathing or swallowing
Thyroid Nodules
Thyroid nodules are growths that form on or in the thyroid gland. About 1 percent of men and 5 percent of women living in iodine-sufficient countries have thyroid nodules that are large enough to feel. About 50 percent of people will have nodules that are too tiny to feel.
The causes aren’t always known but can include iodine deficiency and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. The nodules can be solid or fluid-filled.
Most are benign, but they can also be cancerous in a small percentage of cases. As with other thyroid-related problems, nodules are more common in women than men, and the risk in both sexes increases with age.
Most thyroid nodules don’t cause any symptoms. However, if they grow large enough, they can cause swelling in your neck and lead to breathing and swallowing difficulties, pain, and goiter.
Some nodules produce thyroid hormone, causing abnormally high levels in the bloodstream. When this happens, symptoms are similar to those of hyperthyroidism and can include:
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high pulse rate
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nervousness
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weight loss
On the other hand, symptoms will be similar to hypothyroidism if the nodules are associated with Hashimoto’s disease. This includes:
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fatigue
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weight gain
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dry skin
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cold intolerance
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