Q: What are the most common thyroid issues, and how are they treated?
A: The thyroid gland is essential to many body functions — muscles, liver, heart and more. It plays a crucial role by producing thyroid hormones to help regulate those functions.
Thyroid issues are very common. This includes hypothyroidism, when the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones, which occurs in about 5% of Americans over 12 and increases with age, or less commonly hyperthyroidism. Whether the thyroid is overactive or underactive, you can experience symptoms like fatigue and dry skin.
Thyroid nodules — lumps or abnormal growths that form within the thyroid gland — are another issue. These occur in about half of adults and are usually small and benign. However, for a small percentage of people (about 7%) these nodules are malignant and need to be investigated and potentially removed.