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Hypothyroidism
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/hypothyroidism.html


HYPOTHYROIDISM

Also called: Underactive thyroid

On this page


BASICS

 * Summary
 * Start Here
 * Diagnosis and Tests
 * Treatments and Therapies


LEARN MORE

 * Related Issues
 * Specifics
 * Genetics




SEE, PLAY AND LEARN

 * No links available




RESEARCH

 * Clinical Trials
 * Journal Articles




RESOURCES

 * Find an Expert


FOR YOU

 * Children
 * Women
 * Patient Handouts


SUMMARY


WHAT IS HYPOTHYROIDISM?

Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, happens when your thyroid gland doesn't
make enough thyroid hormones to meet your body's needs.

Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. It
makes hormones that control the way the body uses energy. These hormones affect
nearly every organ in your body and control many of your body's most important
functions. For example, they affect your breathing, heart rate, weight,
digestion, and moods. Without enough thyroid hormones, many of your body's
functions slow down. But there are treatments that can help.


WHAT CAUSES HYPOTHYROIDISM?

Hypothyroidism has several causes. They include:

 * Hashimoto's disease, an autoimmune disorder where your immune system attacks
   your thyroid. This is the most common cause.
 * Thyroiditis, inflammation of the thyroid
 * Congenital hypothyroidism, hypothyroidism that is present at birth
 * Surgical removal of part or all of the thyroid
 * Radiation treatment of the thyroid
 * Certain medicines
 * In rare cases, a pituitary disease or too much or too little iodine in your
   diet


WHO IS AT RISK FOR HYPOTHYROIDISM?

You are at higher risk for hypothyroidism if you:

 * Are a woman
 * Are older than age 60
 * Have had a thyroid problem before, such as a goiter
 * Have had surgery to correct a thyroid problem
 * Have received radiation treatment to the thyroid, neck, or chest
 * Have a family history of thyroid disease
 * Were pregnant or had a baby in the past 6 months
 * Have Turner syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects females
 * Have pernicious anemia, in which the body cannot make enough healthy red
   blood cells because it does not have enough vitamin B12
 * Have Sjogren's syndrome, a disease that causes dry eyes and mouth
 * Have type 1 diabetes
 * Have rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that affects the joints
 * Have lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease


WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HYPOTHYROIDISM?

The symptoms of hypothyroidism can vary from person to person and may include:

 * Fatigue
 * Weight gain
 * A puffy face
 * Trouble tolerating cold
 * Joint and muscle pain
 * Constipation
 * Dry skin
 * Dry, thinning hair
 * Decreased sweating
 * Heavy or irregular menstrual periods
 * Fertility problems in women
 * Depression
 * Slowed heart rate
 * Goiter, an enlarged thyroid that may cause your neck to look swollen.
   Sometimes it can cause trouble with breathing or swallowing.

Because hypothyroidism develops slowly, many people don't notice symptoms of the
disease for months or even years.


WHAT OTHER PROBLEMS CAN HYPOTHYROIDISM CAUSE?

Hypothyroidism can contribute to high cholesterol. In rare cases, untreated
hypothyroidism can cause myxedema coma. This is a condition in which your body's
functions slow down to the point that it becomes life-threatening.

During pregnancy, hypothyroidism can cause complications, such as premature
birth, high blood pressure in pregnancy, and miscarriage. It can also slow the
baby's growth and development.


HOW IS HYPOTHYROIDISM DIAGNOSED?

Your health care provider may use many tools to make a diagnosis:

 * A medical history, including asking about your symptoms
 * A physical exam
 * Thyroid tests, such as
   * TSH, T3, T4, and thyroid antibody blood tests
   * Imaging tests, such as a thyroid scan, ultrasound, or radioactive iodine
     uptake test. A radioactive iodine uptake test measures how much radioactive
     iodine your thyroid takes up from your blood after you swallow a small
     amount of it.


WHAT ARE THE TREATMENTS FOR HYPOTHYROIDISM?

The treatment for hypothyroidism is medicine to replace the hormone that your
own thyroid can no longer make. About 6 to 8 weeks after you start taking the
medicine, you will get a blood test to check your thyroid hormone level. Your
health care provider will adjust your dose if needed. Each time your dose is
adjusted, you'll have another blood test. Once you find the right dose, you will
probably get a blood test in 6 months. After that, you will need the test once a
year.

If you take your medicine according to the instructions, you usually should be
able to control the hypothyroidism. You should never stop taking your medicine
without talking with your health care provider first.

If you have Hashimoto's disease or other types of autoimmune thyroid disorders,
you may be sensitive to harmful side effects from iodine. Talk to your health
care provider about which foods, supplements, and medicines you need to avoid.

Women need more iodine when they are pregnant because the baby gets iodine from
the mother's diet. If you are pregnant, talk with your health care provider
about how much iodine you need.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases


START HERE

Collapse Section

 * Hypothyroidism (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
 * Hypothyroidism (American Thyroid Association) Also in Spanish
 * Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid) (National Institute of Diabetes and
   Digestive and Kidney Diseases)


DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS

Expand Section

 * Thyroid Function Tests (American Thyroid Association) Also in Spanish
 * Thyroid Scan and Uptake (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society
   of North America) Also in Spanish
 * Thyroid Tests (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
   Diseases) Also in Spanish
 * Thyroxine (T4) Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
 * Triiodothyronine (T3) Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
 * TSH (Thyroid-stimulating hormone) test (National Library of Medicine) Also in
   Spanish


TREATMENTS AND THERAPIES

Expand Section

 * Older Therapies Aren't Necessarily Better for Thyroid Hormone Replacement
   (Food and Drug Administration)
 * Thyroid Hormone Treatment (American Thyroid Association) Also in Spanish


RELATED ISSUES

Expand Section

 * Hypothyroidism: Can It Cause Peripheral Neuropathy? (Mayo Foundation for
   Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
 * Hypothyroidism: Does It Cause Joint Pain? (Mayo Foundation for Medical
   Education and Research) Also in Spanish
 * Iodine Deficiency (American Thyroid Association) Also in Spanish
 * Thyroid and Weight (American Thyroid Association) Also in Spanish


SPECIFICS

Expand Section

 * Hashimoto's Disease (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
   Diseases)


GENETICS

Expand Section

 * Congenital hypothyroidism: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of
   Medicine)
 * Hashimoto thyroiditis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)


CLINICAL TRIALS

Expand Section

 * ClinicalTrials.gov: Hypothyroidism (National Institutes of Health)
 * ClinicalTrials.gov: Thyroiditis, Autoimmune (National Institutes of Health)


JOURNAL ARTICLES REFERENCES AND ABSTRACTS FROM MEDLINE/PUBMED (NATIONAL LIBRARY
OF MEDICINE)

Expand Section

 * Article: Association of Differential Metabolites With Small Intestinal
   Microflora and Maternal Outcomes...
 * Article: Hypothyroidism risk associated with rheumatoid arthritis: A
   population-based retrospective cohort study.
 * Article: A Prospective Observational Study of 42 Patients with COVID-19
   infection and...
 * Hypothyroidism -- see more articles


FIND AN EXPERT

Expand Section

 * American Thyroid Association
 * Find an Endocrinologist (Endocrine Society)
 * Find an Endocrinology - Thyroid Specialist (American Thyroid Association)
 * National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases


CHILDREN

Expand Section

 * Congenital Hypothyroidism (Endocrine Society) Also in Spanish
 * Congenital Hypothyroidism (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) - In English and
   Spanish Also in Spanish
 * Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
   Also in Spanish


WOMEN

Expand Section

 * Hashimoto's Disease (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on
   Women's Health)


PATIENT HANDOUTS

Expand Section

 * Chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto disease) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in
   Spanish
 * Hypothyroidism (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
 * Neonatal hypothyroidism (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
 * Silent thyroiditis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
 * Subacute thyroiditis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
 * T4 test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
 * Thyroid Tests (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
   Diseases) Also in Spanish
 * TSH test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish


TOPIC IMAGE




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MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

 * Chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto disease)
 * Factitious hyperthyroidism
 * Hypothyroidism
 * Neonatal hypothyroidism
 * Silent thyroiditis
 * Subacute thyroiditis
 * T4 test
 * Thyroid scan
 * TSH test


RELATED HEALTH TOPICS

 * Hyperthyroidism
 * Thyroid Cancer
 * Thyroid Diseases
 * Thyroid Tests


NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

The primary NIH organization for research on Hypothyroidism is the National
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases


NIH MEDLINEPLUS MAGAZINE

 * Ali Palmer's New Perspective on Beauty
 * Fast Facts About Hypothyroidism
 * Hypothyroidism Research: A Long-Term Effort
 * Hypothyroidism vs. Hyperthyroidism: What's the Difference?
 * Why the Internet Can't Diagnose Your Thyroid Problem


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Page last updated on 26 January 2022 Topic last reviewed: 21 November 2019


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