Overview
The thyroid gland sits at the front of the neck and makes hormones that help regulate metabolism, temperature, heart rate, growth, and energy levels. Thyroid disorders happen when the gland makes too little hormone, too much hormone, becomes inflamed, develops lumps called nodules, or rarely becomes cancerous. Common thyroid conditions include hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, thyroiditis, goiter, and thyroid nodules.
Key Symptoms
Symptoms depend on the type of thyroid problem. An underactive thyroid may cause tiredness, weight gain, feeling cold, constipation, dry skin, slower thinking, or heavy menstrual periods. An overactive thyroid may cause weight loss, sweating, feeling hot, shaking, anxiety, a fast heartbeat, trouble sleeping, or more frequent bowel movements. A goiter or thyroid nodule may cause a visible neck swelling, pressure in the neck, hoarseness, or trouble swallowing.
Causes and Risk Factors
Many thyroid disorders are linked to autoimmune disease, where the body's immune system attacks the thyroid. Other causes include iodine deficiency or excess, inflammation, certain medicines, pregnancy-related changes, radiation exposure to the neck, and noncancerous or cancerous growths. Risk can be higher with a family history of thyroid disease, female sex, older age, and other autoimmune conditions.
Who Is Affected
Thyroid disorders can affect people of any age, including babies, children, adults, and older people. They are more common in women, but men can also be affected. Risk patterns vary around the world because iodine intake, healthcare access, and screening practices differ between countries and regions.
Diagnosis and Tests
A healthcare professional may ask about symptoms, examine the neck, and order blood tests such as thyroid-stimulating hormone and thyroid hormone levels. Depending on the problem, testing may also include thyroid antibody tests, ultrasound, a radioactive iodine uptake scan, or a fine-needle biopsy of a nodule. Diagnosis is important because different thyroid disorders can cause similar symptoms but need different treatment approaches.
Treatment Categories
Treatment depends on the specific disorder and how severe it is. Options may include thyroid hormone replacement for an underactive thyroid, medicines that reduce thyroid hormone production, treatment to control symptoms, radioactive iodine, or surgery. Thyroid nodules and cancer may need monitoring, biopsy, surgery, or specialist care. Follow-up testing is often needed to make sure hormone levels stay in range.
Diet and Lifestyle
Diet alone usually does not treat a thyroid disorder, but overall nutrition still matters. Iodine is needed for thyroid hormone production, yet too little or too much can both be harmful, so supplements should not be started without medical advice. Taking medicines exactly as directed, keeping follow-up appointments, and telling healthcare professionals about all supplements and medicines can help avoid problems. Regular physical activity, sleep, and support for stress may help with day-to-day wellbeing.
When to Seek Medical Care
See a healthcare professional if you have ongoing tiredness, unexplained weight change, heat or cold intolerance, a fast or unusually slow heartbeat, neck swelling, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or changes in mood or concentration that do not improve. Medical review is also important during pregnancy, after childbirth, or if a baby or child may have symptoms of thyroid disease. New or growing lumps in the neck should be assessed.
When It May Be an Emergency
Get urgent medical help if you have severe trouble breathing, severe trouble swallowing, confusion, fainting, chest pain, a very fast or irregular heartbeat, extreme weakness, or sudden worsening of thyroid-related symptoms. Emergency care is also needed for a rapidly enlarging neck swelling or serious illness with fever and agitation in someone with known hyperthyroidism. These situations can signal a dangerous complication and should not be managed at home.