Thyroid Disorders

It is an imbalance in the production of thyroid hormones which arise from dysfunction of the thyroid gland itself, the pituitary gland, which produces thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), or the hypothalamus, which regulates the pituitary gland via thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH).

Concentrations of TSH increase with age, requiring age-corrected tests. Hypothyroidism affects between three and ten per cent of adults, with an incidence higher in women and the elderly.

Problems with the thyroid include overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism, an under-active thyroid or hypothyroidism.

An overactive thyroid can make a person feel nervousness or anxious, be hyperactive and experience unexpected weight loss.

An under-active thyroid can make a person feel tired, put on weight and feel depressed. Other thyroid disorders may cause a harmless swelling, or goitre, and thyroid cancer.