1. feel nervous
2. have tremors
3. feel short of breath
4. get tired easily
5. experience muscle weakness

Being a biological female and being over 60 years old increase a person’s risk of hyperthyroidism. A person is also more likely to have hyperthyroidism if they have a pre-existing health condition such as pernicious anemia, type 2 diabetes, or primary adrenal insufficiency.

Other risk factors include:

• having a family history of thyroid disease
• eating a diet rich in iodine, such as kelp
• taking medication that contain iodine
• using nicotine, such as smoking or vaping
• being pregnant within the previous 6 months

Different treatment options work for different people — there is no one-size-fits-all approach. However, the aim of any treatment is to bring thyroid hormones back down to typical levels.

Thyroid medications

Doctors may prescribe medications such as beta-blockers to treat the effects of hyperthyroidism. Beta-blockers work mainly in the heart to prevent substances, such as adrenaline, from affecting nerve cells. However, beta-blockers do not affect on thyroid hormone production. Antithyroid medication reduces thyroid hormone production and may temporarily reduce Graves’ disease symptoms. This is an autoimmune condition causing hyperthyroidism. Doctors most commonly prescribe methimazole, but if a person is pregnant, they may recommend propylthiouracil. In rare cases, methimazole may harm the fetus. Some people experience side effects from taking antithyroid medicines, including:

• an adverse reaction, such as a rash and itching
• a reduction in white blood cells, which can lower immune defenses and reduce resistance to infection
• in rare cases, liver failure

Radioiodine therapy

Radioiodine therapy slowly kills off the cells that produce thyroid hormone. It does not affect other tissues in the body. Doctors do not prescribe radioiodine therapy during pregnancy as it can harm the fetus. A person is extremely likely to develop hypothyroidism following radioiodine therapy. However, doctors consider hypothyroidism easier to treat than hyperthyroidism. Therefore, they may decide this is the right choice for some individuals.

Thyroid surgery

If a person has a goiter — a swollen neck due to enlargement of the thyroid gland — doctors may recommend surgery. They may also suggest it for a person with hyperthyroidism during pregnancy when other treatments are potentially harmful or inadequate. Depending on the individual and how much of the thyroid gland surgeons remove, a person may develop hypothyroidism and require medications to treat this condition.