Overactive thyroid

Overactive thyroid (also known as hyperthyroidism) is a relatively common hormonal condition that occurs when there is too much thyroid hormone in the body.

Excess levels of thyroid hormones can then speed up the body’s metabolism, triggering a range of symptoms, such as:

nervousness and anxiety hyperactivity – where a person can’t stay still and is full of nervous energy unexplained or unplanned weight loss  swelling of the thyroid gland, which causes a noticeable lump, known as a goitre, to form in the throat

The severity, frequency and range of symptoms can vary from person to person.

Read more about the symptoms of an overactive thyroid gland

Symptoms

An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) has many signs and symptoms, although it is unlikely you would develop all of them.


If you have hyperthyroidism, you may experience some of the following symptoms:

hyperactivity mood swings – such as anxiety, irritability and nervousness difficulty sleeping (insomnia) feeling tired all the time (fatigue) muscle weakness needing to poo or pee more frequently excess fats in your poo – which can make them greasy and difficult to flush down the toilet (steatorrhoea) sensitivity to heat and excess sweating unexplained or unexpected weight loss – despite having an increased appetite (though in a small number of cases, the increase in appetite can lead to weight gain) very infrequent or light periods, or periods stopping altogether infertility loss of interest in sex 

If you have diabetes, your diabetic symptoms, such as extreme thirst and tiredness, may be made worse by hyperthyroidism.