What is hyperthyroidism?
Hyperthyroidism develops when your body has too much thyroid hormone. Your thyroid gland, located at the base of your neck, produces hormones that control how the cells in your body use energy. When your thyroid is overactive, you may experience weight loss, changes in your heart rate, nervousness, and other symptoms. Over time, hyperthyroidism causes heart problems and other complications, but treatments can help balance your hormone levels.
Penn Medicine’s experts are leaders in detecting and treating thyroid disorders like hyperthyroidism. Our endocrinologists and thyroid care specialists use the latest techniques to diagnose an overactive thyroid and to identify any underlying diseases that contribute to the disorder. Then you’ll start a personalized treatment plan that can relieve your symptoms and address the root cause of your condition.
Hyperthyroidism symptoms
Hyperthyroidism can cause a wide range of symptoms that may appear suddenly or more gradually over time. Signs of an overactive thyroid may include:
- Weight loss or, in some cases, weight gain
- An irregular or fast heartbeat (heart palpitations)
- An enlarged thyroid gland (toxic nodular goiter) or thyroid nodules
- A hand tremor
- Excessive sweat
- Hair loss
- Rash
You may also experience fatigue, concentration problems, nervousness, restlessness, sleep issues, intolerance to heat, thirst, and changes in your bowel habits.
Complications of hyperthyroidism
Elevated thyroid hormone levels can lead to other health problems over time, including atrial fibrillation, heart failure, osteoporosis, or thyroid eye disease.
Additionally, there’s a risk of thyroid crisis, also known as thyroid storm. When this happens, your symptoms suddenly become worse, usually because of an infection or stress. Thyroid crisis is a medical emergency that causes a high fever, stomach pain, and decreased awareness. It’s treated in a hospital.
What causes an overactive thyroid?
Your thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate your heart rate, your body temperature, and the way your body uses fats and carbohydrates. These hormones include triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxin (T4). When levels of these hormones are high, it causes hyperthyroidism.
Certain medical conditions can lead to your thyroid gland making more hormones than you need. Common causes of an overactive thyroid include the autoimmune disorder Graves’ disease and inflammation of the thyroid (thyroiditis). The condition can also be caused by noncancerous growths on your thyroid or pituitary gland, tumors of the testes or ovaries, or getting too much iodine from food or medications. If you take thyroid hormone, taking too much of the medication can lead to hyperthyroidism.
Hyperthyroidism diagnosis
To diagnose hyperthyroidism, your doctor will test your blood pressure and reflexes, listen to your heart rate, and check for an enlarged thyroid and other signs of the disorder. Your doctor will also order several blood tests, including those that measure your levels of T3, T4, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Low TSH and high T3 and T4 levels may confirm that an overactive thyroid is causing your symptoms. Imaging tests of your thyroid can also help diagnose the condition.
Treatment for an overactive thyroid gland
The best treatment for you depends on what’s causing an overactive thyroid, along with other factors like your age and health. Drugs can prevent your thyroid gland from overproducing hormones. Other medicines treat your symptoms, like a rapid heart rate or tremor. Your doctor might also recommend a therapy that shrinks your thyroid gland or surgery to remove the gland. Both of these treatment options require replacing thyroid hormone with medication for the rest of your life.
Skilled providers in thyroid care
Penn Medicine’s specialists in endocrinology and thyroid care have advanced training in hyperthyroidism. They conduct a thorough evaluation of your symptoms and use state-of-the-art tests to diagnose an overactive thyroid. Taking a collaborative approach to your care, our team of experts works together to ensure that you get an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, even in complex cases of Graves’ disease, thyroid nodules, or thyroid crisis.
In addition to working on balancing your hormones, our team helps you manage symptoms like anxiety and sleep issues, and we monitor you for related conditions, like heart problems. Our whole-person approach means you get specialized care to successfully treat your thyroid disease.