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Understanding the risk factors of Hyperthyroidism can be beneficial to anyone. It is always a smart idea to know your family medical history and also to find out what you can do, if anything, so you can take the necessary proactive steps to deal with the possibility of getting the same ailment. I will highlight here some of the risk factors associated with hyperthyroidism.

A family history of Graves disease, one type of hyperthyroid disease, is a risk factor for hyperthyroidism. Your parents or other relatives may have passed on the gene that increases your chance of having this disease. Don't assume that because they may not been officially diagnosed with the disease, that they don't have it. Asking knowledgeable questions of them may produce some interesting insights. You may observe that some relatives have similar symptoms as you have and in many cases pregnancy brings to the surface this inherited condition.

While too little iodine can cause hypothyroidism, the opposite is true for Hyperthyroidism. A sudden increase in iodine intake has been identified as a risk factor for this thyroid problem. Some foods and medications that contain high concentrations of iodine can also be risk factors.

Historical factors should also be considered as risk factors. If you are female, it is important to know that you have a higher risk, eight times more, than your male counterparts, and that its peak occurrence is between the ages of 30 and 40.

Stress and emotions have been considered as risk factors for some time now. Highly stressful situations like the loss of a loved one can trigger the thyroid into overactivity and cause the onset of hyperthyroidism.

Illness can affect your thyroid. Serious illness can significantly affect your thyroid hormone levels causing them to drop due to a decrease in the ability of the
T3 and T4 hormones to bind to serum protein and to convert.

It is not necessary to get overly concerned about risk factors for hyperthyroidism but it is helpful to develop an awareness about the risks. Knowing, for example, that your parents and relatives have the gene or could have passed it unto you, allows you to exercise some control over your health decisions.

Learn more about this author, Joan Schroeder.
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