{"id":18524,"date":"2021-02-05T13:00:38","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T18:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=18524"},"modified":"2025-02-03T18:01:32","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T23:01:32","slug":"hypothyroidism-vs-hyperthyroidism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/hypothyroidism-vs-hyperthyroidism\/","title":{"rendered":"Hypothyroidism vs. hyperthyroidism: Compare causes, symptoms, treatments & more"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hypothyroidism<\/span> and <\/span>hyperthyroidism<\/span> involve the thyroid in different ways. <\/span>Hyperthyroidism<\/span> defines a thyroid that produces too <\/span>much thyroid hormone<\/span>. This is also known as an <\/span>overactive thyroid<\/span>. In comparison, <\/span>hypothyroidism<\/span> is very much the reverse issue. <\/span>Hypothyroidism<\/span> occurs when the thyroid is producing too little <\/span>thyroid hormone<\/span>. Naturally, the methods of tackling these separate issues are quite different. Learn more about the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention in the information that follows.<\/span><\/p>\n

Causes\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Hypothyroidism<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Autoimmune disease<\/span> is the leading cause of <\/span>hypothyroidism<\/span>. The specific <\/span>autoimmune disorder<\/span> is referred to as <\/span>Hashimoto\u2019s thyroiditis<\/span>. These rare cases come to fruition when your own <\/span>antibodies<\/span> attack your thyroid tissue, leading to the underproduction of the thyroid hormone. This occurrence can involve several parts of the body; however, it occurs in the <\/span>thyroid gland<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Health specialists have yet to discover a concrete answer as to why this happens. The best guesses as of now are a combination of elements that can include your surroundings as well as genetics. When the aforementioned <\/span>antibodies<\/span> disturb the thyroid\u2019s potential to generate hormones, such as <\/span>thyroxine<\/span>, <\/span>hypothyroidism<\/span> arises.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t have the means to produce <\/span>thyroid hormone<\/span> properly, <\/span>thyroid disorders<\/span> are unavoidable. Therefore, those with surgically removed parts of the thyroid may run into this issue. Removal of a significant portion of the <\/span>thyroid gland<\/span> will impact the ability to produce hormones. Cases such as these likely require the necessity of medication to produce the desired results.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another <\/span>common cause of hypothyroidism<\/span> is radiation therapy. Due to your <\/span>thyroid gland<\/span> positioning, radiation treatments for cancers of the neck and head can impact your <\/span>thyroid gland<\/span>. Finally, medications can also impact your <\/span>thyroid function<\/span> and produce <\/span>hypothyroidism<\/span>. A wide variety of medications can contribute to an <\/span>underactive thyroid<\/span>; thus, it is best to ask your <\/span>healthcare<\/span> provider about the impact medication can have.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hyperthyroidism<\/span><\/h3>\n

The most prominent cause of <\/span>hyperthyroidism<\/span> is <\/span>Graves\u2019 disease<\/span><\/a>. This unfortunate circumstance leads to the excess secretion of the hormone. The reason being the antibodies excite the thyroid receptors to activate the thyroid gland to produce more thyroid hormone. Since <\/span>Graves\u2019 disease<\/span> often appears in families, it is best to tell your doctor if one or more of your relatives have the disease. <\/span>Graves\u2019 disease<\/span> is an <\/span>autoimmune disorder<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your <\/span>immune system<\/span> similarly attacks the thyroid to what happens with <\/span>hypothyroidism<\/span>. However, in this case, the attack leads to an overproduction of <\/span>thyroid hormone<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thyroiditis occurs by the <\/span>inflammation of the thyroid<\/span>. The inflammation leads to a <\/span>thyroid hormone<\/span> leak which can often last up to three full months. In many cases, this is the first step toward <\/span>hypothyroidism<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lastly, an excess of <\/span>iodine<\/span><\/a> is a <\/span>common cause of hyperthyroidism<\/span>. <\/span>Thyroid hormone<\/span> is produced due to the intake of iodine in your thyroid. It is only natural to assume that too much iodine will lead to an overproduction of <\/span>thyroid hormone<\/span>. It is also important to keep an eye out for iodine in medication. Certain medications, such as amiodarone, contain a large supply of iodine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Hypothyroidism vs. hyperthyroidism causes<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Hypothyroidism<\/span><\/td>\nHyperthyroidism<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
    \n
  • Insufficient <\/span>thyroid hormone<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Radiation therapy<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Surgically removed parts of the thyroid<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Medication <\/span>side effects<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
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