Word parts
What it means
An overactive thyroid. Too much thyroid hormone speeds up the body: a fast heart rate or palpitationpal-pih-TAY-shunThe feeling of your own heartbeat as pounding, racing, fluttering or skipping.Full entry , nervousness, tremorTREM-erShaking of a part of the body, such as the hands, in small rhythmic movements that the person cannot control.Full entry , sweating, feeling hot, weight loss despite eating more, diarrhea and trouble sleeping. The most common cause is Graves disease, an autoimmune disease that can also make the eyes bulge. Treatment includes antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine or surgery.
For the nurse
Monitor heart rate and rhythm, weight and temperature. Offer a cool, quiet room and high-calorie meals. A sudden, severe worsening (thyroid storm), with high fever, very fast heart rate and confusion, is an emergency to report at once.
Remember it
Hyper is high: everything speeds up.
At a glance
| Everyday words | overactive thyroid |
|---|---|
| Spanish | hipertiroidismo |
| Also written | hyperthyroid, overactive thyroid |
Easy to confuse with
hypothyroidism
A condition in which the thyroid gland makes too little thyroid hormone.
Related terms
tremor
Shaking of a part of the body, such as the hands, in small rhythmic movements that the person cannot control.
hypothyroidism
A condition in which the thyroid gland makes too little thyroid hormone.
thyr/o
A word part that means the thyroid gland.
hyper-
A word beginning that means above, over or more than normal.