Symptoms that can lead to a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism include tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), irregular heartbeat, palpitations, general irritability, feeling hot all the time, having warm, moist skin, lethargy combined with an inability to fall asleep easily, and unexplained weight changes.

In fact, the weight changes are one of the issues that make diagnosis of hyperthyroidism confusing. Hyperthyroidism speeds up your metabolism and increases your appetite, but some people end up losing weight because of the faster metabolism while others gain weight because of eating more. Therefore, any change in weight combined with the other symptoms listed above should cause you to discuss the possibility of a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism with your doctor.

In advanced cases of hyperthyroidism symptoms can include chest pains, muscle weakness, difficulty breathing and chest pains. This set of symptoms can also indicate panic attacks or heart attacks, so if you’re experiencing them you need to see a doctor right away. However, there is a possibility here of a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism.

Apart from symptoms, the doctor will use signs (things they look for as opposed to things you report feeling) to come to a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism. Examples of signs of hyperthyroidism include the bulging eyeballs common to people with Graves disease, one of the underlying causes of hyperthyroidism, and an enlarged thyroid gland, which will make it look like your Adam’s apple is swollen.

The other main set of tools at a doctor’s disposal for diagnosis of hyperthyroidism are medical tests. The traditional tests for hyperthyroidism include blood tests that measure thyroid hormone levels and iodine scans with dye that can detect nodules. The more advanced tests in a doctor’s artillery for diagnosis of hyperthyroidism include X-rays and thyroid ultrasounds. A good doctor will use these methods in combination (symptoms, signs, laboratory tests and visual aids like iodine scans, X-rays or ultrasound) to reach a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism without much doubt.

There was a time when hyperthyroidism in children was under diagnosed, but routine screenings have now prevented that problem.

Hyperthyroidism in children is best managed by a specialist such as a pediatric endocrinologist. Because children are still growing, anything that interferes with their endocrine system can cause long-term problems and needs to be watched carefully.

The most common causes of hyperthyroidism in children are congenital hyperthyroidism and Graves Disease. Congenital hyperthyroidism in children is a birth defect that can cause mental retardation if not treated immediately, but with proper treatment it causes no long term problems. Graves Disease can occur in a child at any time naturally, or a baby can be born with an overactive thyroid as a result of his or her mother having it.

Hyperthyroidism in children may be an alarming diagnosis but there’s no need to worry; with proper treatment your child should continue to thrive. Hyperthyroidism in children only leads to growth retardation and other problems if it goes unchecked.

Hyperthyroidism can run in families, so parents who have a family history of it need to be especially sensitive to signs of hyperthyroidism in their children. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism in children include irritability, increased appetite, increased heart rate, and oversensitivity to heat.

Treatment of hyperthyroidism in children is usually anti-thyroid medication, beta blockers or both. However, if the disorder proves to be resistant to this treatment or a more severe problem is indicated, your doctor may recommend surgery or radiation treatment.

Hyperthyroidism in children can also cause behavioral issues if it goes unchecked. For example, hyperactivity causes behavior that’s similar to the behavior seen in children with hyperthyroidism. All of these behavioral changes and problems will be reduced or eliminated with the proper treatment, however. Don’t panic if your child is diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Proper care by a physician will go a long way towards getting him or her back on the right track.

Hyperthyroidism treatment involving radiation therapy works by using radioactive iodine particles. The hormones the thyroid produces are the only cells in the body that are able to absorb iodine, so this hyperthyroidism treatment “tricks” the thyroid hormones into absorbing poisoned iodine particles which kill the thyroid.

This particular hyperthyroidism treatment is very safe in spite of the radioactivity involved, which is extremely low level. Radioactive iodine as a hyperthyroidism treatment takes about two months to complete. The major problem with this hyperthyroidism treatment is that it causes the opposite problem, hypothyroidism.

Drug therapy for hyperthyroidism treatment has two main branches: medicines that block the symptoms of hyperthyroidism, and medicines that actually block the overproduction of the thyroid hormones. If your hyperthyroidism is a temporary condition that was caused by thyroiditis or excessive thyroid medication consumption, beta blockers will slow you heart rate, calm your irritability and stop your hands from shaking.

However, if your hyperthyroidism is organic then you need a more permanent hyperthyroidism treatment with anti-thyroid medications that actually reduce the hormones produced. These may be prescribed in combination with the beta blockers as well to provide immediate relief as well as long-term hyperthyroidism treatment.

The most extreme form of hyperthyroidism treatment has to be surgery. Surgery is the hyperthyroidism treatment that offers the most immediate relief, but it carries risks and is expensive and has a long recovery period, so it’s not prescribed often.

Surgery is the recommended hyperthyroidism treatment if the thyroid gland is swollen so much as to interfere with swallowing or breathing, if thyroid cancer is present or suspected, or if the other forms of hyperthyroidism treatment didn’t work or were not tolerated well. Be assured, though, that hyperthyroidism treatment in general has improved over time and one of these forms of hyperthyroidism treatment will certainly help you. Ask your doctor which of these options is the best one for you.

Pediatric hyperthyroidism has some important differences from hyperthyroidism in adults. Pediatric hyperthyroidism occurs less frequently than hyperthyroidism in adults but it comes with its own set of challenges, especially for infants.

Congenital pediatric hyperthyroidism is a birth defect that formerly caused such problems as failure to thrive, failure to grow and mental retardation. Routine screenings in hospitals have greatly increased the treatment for this kind of pediatric hyperthyroidism and children who receive treatment immediately should have no further problems.

Another cause of pediatric hyperthyroidism is Graves Disease. Graves Disease can develop in a child over time or a baby can be born with an overactive thyroid as a result of his or her mother having the disease and excreting too many thyroid hormones over the length of the pregnancy. Pediatric hyperthyroidism that is caused by Graves Disease is usually treated with anti-thyroid medication.

Hyperthyroidism can run in families, so if you have a family history of it and your child is exhibiting some of the symptoms of pediatric hyperthyroidism, such as increased appetite, weight loss, rapid heartbeat, oversensitivity to heat or apparently hyperactive behavior, have your child checked by a doctor right away.

Pediatric hyperthyroidism patients get the best treatment from pediatric endocrinologists, because metabolic disorders like this can interfere with growth and affect the entire endocrine system.
The most common treatments for pediatric hyperthyroidism are beta blockers, medicine that slows down thyroid hormone production, or some combination of both. Surgery or radiation treatments are not generally recommended in cases of pediatric hyperthyroidism, but they can be called for if the disease is persistent in spite of drug therapy.

A qualified doctor will be able to sit down with you and formulate the proper strategy for dealing with pediatric hyperthyroidism so your child can feel better right away.

Be warned though that it’s necessary to tell your doctor about any natural remedies for hyperthyroidism that you take so he or she can monitor any possible interference with your traditional therapy.

One of the most widely used natural remedies for hyperthyroidism is kelp, also known as seaweed or sea greens. Since iodine is naturally occurring in these plants, if your hyperthyroidism is caused by a lack of iodine, kelp will definitely help.

Colloidal silver is another of the natural remedies for hyperthyroidism. Colloidal silver must be used with care, however, as an overdose of it can cause a blue or gray tint to the skin.

Another of the better known natural remedies for hyperthyroidism is vitamins and minerals. Niacin, B vitamins and potassium all help improve thyroid function. Vitamin C is also an option among the natural remedies for hyperthyroidism because its antioxidant properties are so strong.

Peruvian maca is one of the herbal natural remedies for hyperthyroidism. A little bit of Peruvian maca goes a long way, though, so don’t overuse it and don’t combine it with other natural remedies for hyperthyroidism.

Perhaps the easiest natural remedies for hyperthyroidism are simple lifestyle changes. Quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, and switching from processed foods and drinks to organic whole foods will definitely help improve your condition.

Other natural remedies for hyperthyroidism include Eastern medicine techniques such as acupressure. More Western doctors are turning to such ancient natural remedies for hyperthyroidism and other metabolic disorders, as they treat the body as a whole system and cure imbalances.

Colonic irrigations and sweating exercises are among the edgier natural treatments for hyperthyroidism, but their benefits, and in the case of the sweating exercises, safety, have not been entirely proven, so it’s better to avoid them and try one of the less invasive natural remedies for hyperthyroidism first.

Subclinical hyperthyroidism is especially hard to diagnose because it can occur without any symptoms, in which case it’s detected by a series of blood tests. If you do exhibit symptoms of subclinical hyperthyroidism, they’re likely to mimic symptoms of regular hyperthyroidism, such as weight loss, nervousness, restlessness and difficulty sleeping.

Besides blood tests, other methods of detecting subclinical hyperthyroidism include thyroid scans with dye and thyroid ultrasounds. There are a few other conditions that can mimic subclinical hyperthyroidism, so tests that measure thyroid antibodies such as TSI are very useful in confirming the diagnosis.

Underlying causes of subclinical hyperthyroidism include side effects from steroids or heart medication, family history, too much or too little iodine in the diet, iodine in medicines, treatment for hypothyroidism, autoimmune disease and other illnesses that affect the thyroid, pituitary or hypothalamus. The most common cause of subclinical hyperthyroidism is probably Graves Disease.

Subclinical hyperthyroidism sometimes goes away naturally without treatment, and it’s often treated naturally just by a reduction of iodine in the diet. Aggressive therapy for subclinical hyperthyroidism can cause more problems than it solves, but if the problem causes annoying or unpleasant symptoms, these can be treated with beta blockers with few side effects. In many cases doctors will forgo treatment of subclinical hyperthyroidism in the beginning but ask their patients to return after a few months to be tested again. If the problem has gone away naturally, no treatment will be prescribed.

Elderly patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism are more likely to have symptoms, especially rapid heartbeat and other cardiovascular issues. In such cases low doses of anti-thyroid drugs are sometimes prescribed because the benefit outweighs the cost here as opposed to cases of subclinical hyperthyroidism in younger people.

A diagnosis of subclinical hyperthyroidism shouldn’t be a cause for worry. This is a very treatable illness that may even go away without medical therapy.

Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include but are not limited to: feelings of nervousness, moodiness, weakness or fatigue; heart palpitations, difficulty breathing and hand tremors; sensitivity to heat; unexplained hair loss; frequent need to move the bowels with loose stools; dysmenorrhea in women; and breast development in men.

One of the most confusing symptoms of hyperthyroidism is increased appetite, because it can manifest itself as either weight loss or weight gain. Some people with hyperthyroidism lose weight in spite of increased appetite, while others gain weight from the increased eating. Therefore, if you have other symptoms of hyperthyroidism and experience unexplained weight loss or gain, it is a good idea to contact your doctor immediately.

Another one of the telltale symptoms of hyperthyroidism is actually a symptom of a possible underlying cause called Graves Disease. People with Graves Disease have bulging eyeballs, swollen lids and easily irritated eyes. Other symptoms of hyperthyroidism that can also be symptoms of Graves Disease include goiter, clubbed fingers, thickened skin on the feet and unusually thick fingernails that separate from the beds. Any of these particular symptoms, especially when combined with more general symptoms of hyperthyroidism, are serious indications that you should check with your doctor.

The more advanced symptoms of hyperthyroidism are rapid heartbeat, heart palpitations, chest pain and extreme irritability. While these symptoms can be alarming because they mimic symptoms of other health problems, including heart attacks and panic attacks, they may well just be symptoms of hyperthyroidism that has progressed.

What should you do if you recognize any of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism in yourself or a loved one? Do not panic and above all resist the urge to try to diagnose yourself. Visit a doctor, who will be much more able to distinguish genuine symptoms of hyperthyroidism from other health problems in context. And should you be diagnosed with hyperthyroidism officially, take comfort in the fact that symptoms of hyperthyroidism diminish significantly with proper treatment, especially those of Graves Disease.