Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
Overview
An overactive thyroid, also known as hyperthyroidism or thyrotoxicosis, is where the thyroid gland produces too much of the thyroid hormones.
Symptoms
An overactive thyroid can cause a wide range of symptoms, including: nervousness, anxiety and irritabilitymood swingsdifficulty sleepingpersistent tiredness and weaknesssensitivity to heatswelling in your neck from anenlarged thyroid gland (goitre)an irregular and/or unusually fast heart rate(palpitations)twitching ortremblingweight loss Find out more about the symptoms of an overactive thyroid
Causes
There are several reasons why your thyroid can become overactive. These include: Graves' disease – an autoimmune condition where the immune system produces antibodies that cause the thyroid to produce too much thyroid hormone (about 4 in every 5 people with an overactive thyroid have Graves' disease)lumps (nodules) on the thyroid – this extra thyroid tissue can produce thyroid hormones, causing your levels to be too highsome medicines such as amiodarone, which can be used to treat anirregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) Find out more about the causes of an overactive thyroid
Treatment
An overactive thyroid is usually treatable. The main treatments are: medicine that stops your thyroid producing too much of the thyroid hormonesradioiodine treatment – where a type ofradiotherapyis used to destroy cells in the thyroid, reducing its ability to produce thyroid hormonessurgery to remove some or all of your thyroid, so that it no longer produces thyroid hormones Each of these treatments has benefits and drawbacks. You'll usually see a specialist in hormonal conditions (endocrinologist) to discuss which treatment is best for you. Find out more about how an overactive thyroid is treated
Prevention
Unknown.
When to see a doctor
See a GP if you have symptoms of an overactive thyroid. They'll ask about your symptoms and if they think you might have a thyroid problem, they can arrange for ablood testto check how well your thyroid is working. If the blood test shows that you have an overactive thyroid, you may be referred for further tests to identify the cause. Find out more about how an overactive thyroid is diagnosed