Is My Thyroid Overactive?

First and foremost, you should see a doctor. The symptoms you describe may well be signs of an overactive thyroid or some other disorder.

Question:
I sweat a lot during the day and feel hot when others are comfortable. I've also started to lose weight and feel anxious all the time. A friend mentioned that I might have a thyroid problem. What should I do?

Answer:

 First and foremost, you should see a doctor. The symptoms you describe may well be signs of an overactive thyroid or some other disorder.

Your thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland just below the Adam's apple at the base of your neck, secretes a hormone called thyroxine, which regulates metabolism, or the rate at which your body produces energy from nutrients. When the thyroid is overactive, it makes too much thyroxine and your metabolism speeds up -- a condition known as hyperthyroidism.

A thyroid on high throttle often causes symptoms such as a rapid or irregular heartbeat, nervousness, irritability, hunger, tremors, a wide-eyed stare, diarrhea, scant menstrual periods, infertility, excess sweating, and heat intolerance. It may also cause you to tire quickly and lead to muscle weakness, weight loss, mood swings, insomnia, poor concentration, and shortness of breath.

Your thyroid can increase hormone production for many reasons, and women are about 10 times more likely than men to develop the problem, according to the September 1999 issue of the journal Patient Care. The most common cause, Graves' disease, is an autoimmune disorder that causes the gland to enlarge, forming what's known as a goiter. Other common causes can include inflammation of the thyroid triggered by a viral infection or childbirth, or the formation of localized lumps in the gland itself that can overproduce thyroid hormone. Excess iodine in your diet can also rev up your thyroid, as can benign and malignant tumors.

Promptly seek medical care for any signs of possible thyroid disease. Your physician should take a medical history, perform a physical exam, and take blood to measure the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which is the single best screening test for hyperthyroidism. Additional testing may help determine whether you have another condition with similar symptoms.

If your evaluation confirms that you have an overactive thyroid, you have several treatment options. Beta-blockers, like Inderal, can decrease symptoms like heart rate, sweating, palpitations, and tremor in the short term. To cure the problem, anti-thyroid drugs may be given to gradually slow down thyroid hormone production. If you need more aggressive treatment, your doctor may prescribe radioactive iodine to stop your thyroid from making thyroxine. Occasionally, the thyroid gland itself is surgically removed. After successful surgery or treatment with radioactive iodine, lifetime thyroid hormone replacement therapy is required to supply the body's continuing need for it.

Your thyroid gland helps your body perform many important functions, so don't take a possible problem lightly.

Elizabeth Smoots, MD, is a board-certified family physician based in Seattle. A fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, she specializes in prevention and primary care medicine.

For More Information From WebMD
• Hyperthyroidism
• Strong Iodine
• Thyroid Disease and Pregnancy
• Hypothyroidism