Meaning & use
hyperthyroidism
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablemedical
A health condition in which the thyroid gland, in the neck, makes too much hormone and speeds up the body's processes.
Grammar: Has no plural and no article is needed: she has hyperthyroidism.
Patterns
- suffer from hyperthyroidism
- be diagnosed with hyperthyroidism
- treat hyperthyroidism
Weight loss and a racing heart can be signs of hyperthyroidism.
Her doctor diagnosed hyperthyroidism after a blood test.
Hyperthyroidism is more common in women than in men.
Common combinations
- diagnosed with hyperthyroidism
- He was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism last spring.
- treat hyperthyroidism
- Medication can treat hyperthyroidism in many patients.
- symptoms of hyperthyroidism
- Sweating and anxiety are symptoms of hyperthyroidism.
- cause hyperthyroidism
- An immune disorder can cause hyperthyroidism.
- mild hyperthyroidism
- Mild hyperthyroidism sometimes needs only regular checks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- overactive thyroid
- Overactive thyroid is the plain-English way to say it and is common in conversation, while hyperthyroidism is the formal medical term.
- thyrotoxicosis
- Thyrotoxicosis names the state of having too much thyroid hormone from any cause, so it is slightly broader and more technical.
Opposites
Word family
- hyperthyroid adjective
- having or relating to an overactive thyroid
- thyroid noun
- the gland in the neck that controls metabolism
- hypothyroidism noun
- the opposite condition, with too little hormone
- thyroidal adjective
- relating to the thyroid
Commonly confused: hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism?
hyperthyroidism vs hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism means too little thyroid hormone, which is the reverse of hyperthyroidism. The prefixes hyper- (over) and hypo- (under) give the clue.
Practice
A patient who has hyperthyroidism most likely has a thyroid gland that is ___.
Choose one answer.
The prefix hyper- means excessive, so the gland makes too much hormone. Too little hormone describes hypothyroidism, the tempting opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hyperthyroidism”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.