What Are the Symptoms of Thyroid Disease?

Kids with hyperthyroidism can feel jumpy and have trouble concentrating. Their hearts might beat fast and their hands may tremble. They can sweat a lot and have trouble sleeping. And even though they might have more of an appetite, they often lose weight or stop gaining it as they grow. Sometimes kids with hyperthyroidism will have a wide-eyed stare all the time, as if they are frightened, and in some cases their eyes may bulge out somewhat.

Kids with hypothyroidism tend to feel tired and not have much energy. Their hearts might beat slower and they may feel cold when the temperature of the room is comfortable for everyone else. Their hair may become brittle and break off more easily, and their skin may be dry and look pale and yellowish. Constipation (infrequent, hard bowel movements) can be a problem. Kids with hypothyroidism tend to grow more slowly and may not show the changes of puberty until they receive treatment. The doctor may suspect hypothyroidism if he or she sees that a kid's growth is not staying on track on the growth charts. Although kids with hypothyroidism may tend to gain weight more easily, thyroid disease is almost never the cause of the problem in kids who are overweight.

A goiter is another symptom of thyroid disease. A goiter results when the thyroid gland gets swollen, or enlarged.

Hypothyroidism is easy to treat. Kids with this disease will have to take a pill every day, but their symptoms will go away. They'll usually need to take this medicine for the rest of their lives, but it's a simple way to make sure the body has enough thyroid hormone to grow and develop normally.

Blood tests are also done to diagnose hypothyroidism. All babies should be tested for hypothyroidism right after they're born, even if they don't have symptoms. It's important to treat a baby with hypothyroidism in the first few weeks of life. Otherwise, the baby won't grow and develop normally.