About the Thyroid

• Hyperthyroidism
• Hypothyroidism
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
• Thyroid Cancer
• Thyroid Nodules
• Thyroid, Pregnancy, and Infancy

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Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in your bloodstream rise or fall depending on whether enough thyroid hormone is produced to meet your body’s needs. Higher levels of TSH prompt the thyroid to produce more thyroid hormone. Conversely, low TSH levels signal the thyroid to slow down production.
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When hyperthyroidism develops, a goiter (enlargement of the thyroid) is usually present and may be associated with some or many of the following features:
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• Fast heart rate, often more than 100 beats per minute
• Becoming anxious, irritable, argumentative
• Trembling hands
• Weight loss, despite eating the same amount or even more than usual
• Intolerance of warm temperatures and increased likelihood to perspire
• Loss of scalp hair
• Tendency of fingernails to separate from the nail bed
• Muscle weakness, especially of the upper arms and thighs
• Loose and frequent bowel movements
• Smooth skin
• Change in menstrual pattern
• Increased likelihood for miscarriage
• Prominent "stare" of the eyes
• Protrusion of the eyes, with or without double vision (in patients with Graves’ disease)
• Irregular heart rhythm, especially in patients older than 60 years of age
• Accelerated loss of calcium from bones, which increases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures

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In its earliest stage, hypothyroidism may cause few symptoms, since the body has the ability to partially compensate for a failing thyroid gland by increasing the stimulation to it, much like pressing down on the accelerator when climbing a hill to keep the car going the same speed. As thyroid hormone production decreases and the body’s metabolism slows, a variety of features may result.
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• Pervasive fatigue
• Drowsiness
• Forgetfulness
• Difficulty with learning
• Dry, brittle hair and nails
• Dry, itchy skin
• Puffy face
• Constipation
• Sore muscles
• Weight gain and fluid retention
• Heavy and/or irregular menstrual flow
• Increased frequency of miscarriages
• Increased sensitivity to many medications

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1. Family History: A familiar place to look for thyroid disorder signs and symptoms is your family tree. If you have a first-degree relative (a parent, sibling, or child) with thyroid disease, you would benefit from thyroid evaluation. Women are much more likely to be thyroid patients than men; however, the gene pool runs through both.
2. Prescription Medications: If you are taking Lithium or Amiodarone you should consider a thyroid evaluation.
3. Radiation Therapy to the Head or Neck: If you have had any of the following radiation therapies, you should consider a thyroid evaluation: radiation therapy for tonsils, radiation therapy for an enlarged thymus, or radiation therapy for acne.
4. Chernobyl: If you lived near Chernobyl at the time (1986) of the nuclear accident, you should consider a thyroid evaluation.

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A great way to increase early detection of thyroid nodules is to perform a Thyroid Neck Check, a simple check you can do anytime, developed by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE). Learn more here and take the Thyroid Neck Check now.
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