Hypothyroidism & Hyperthyroidism in Men.

Hypothyroidism in Men

Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) is a condition in which your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough of certain important hormones.

Women, especially those older than age 60, are more likely to have hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism upsets the normal balance of chemical reactions in your body. It seldom causes symptoms in the early stages, but over time, untreated hypothyroidism can cause a number of health problems, such as obesity, joint pain, infertility, and heart disease.

The good news is that accurate thyroid function tests are available to diagnose hypothyroidism, and treatment of hypothyroidism with synthetic thyroid hormone is usually simple, safe and effective once you and your doctor find the right dose for you.

When men possess low thyroid hormone levels, meaning an underactive thyroid gland and low metabolism, men experience such symptoms as:

  • Hair Loss
  • Fatigue
  • Dry Skin
  • Weight Gain
  • Constipation
  • Cold intolerance

Having an underactive thyroid gland, referred to as hypothyroidism, occurs with a considerably higher frequency (as many as 1 in 7 adults) than having an overactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism. In 2002, the Society of Endocrinologists announced that the standard testing ranges for thyroid hormone levels were inaccurate. As a result, hypothyroidism in men has been under diagnosed. Men who were told that their thyroid hormone levels were normal may actually have been misinformed and misdiagnosed.

To this day, many thyroid lab tests have not been corrected to test for the accurate range of thyroid hormone levels. Comparable to hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia causes similar symptoms in men. This chronic pain illness causes extreme muscle and joint pain and fatigue. While not completely understood, there seems to be a connection between the two diseases when considering that many men who have hypothyroidism have afterward been diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

Hyperthyroidism in Men

Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) is a condition in which your thyroid gland produces too much of the hormone thyroxine. Hyperthyroidism can accelerate your body’s metabolism significantly, causing sudden weight loss, a rapid or irregular heartbeat, sweating, and nervousness or irritability.

Several treatment options are available if you have hyperthyroidism. Doctors use anti-thyroid medications and radioactive iodine to slow the production of thyroid hormones. Sometimes, treatment of hyperthyroidism involves surgery to remove all or part of your thyroid gland. Although hyperthyroidism can be serious if you ignore it, most people respond well once hyperthyroidism is diagnosed and treated.

An overly high thyroid level in men indicates an overactive thyroid gland, also known as hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism in men increases metabolism and produces such symptoms as:

  • Muscle Weakness
  • Breathlessness
  • Heart Palpitations
  • Anxiety
  • Osteoporosis (in severe cases)
  • Trembling Hands
  • Hair Loss
  • Insomnia
  • Weight Loss
  • Fatigue
  • Heat Intolerance
  • Increased Bowel Movements

Initially, these symptoms of high thyroid hormone levels may be difficult to perceive, over time however, the symptoms grow gradually more severe. As age increases hyperthyroidism in men becomes more difficult to detect because the number of symptoms often decrease with only weight loss and depression remaining. The increased metabolism may result in weight loss, which may in turn cause weight gain. This is because a man’s appetite grows and he begins to eat more than his body can keep up with, actually resulting in weight gain.