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I have put together a primer on hyperthyroidism. This should help shed a little light on the subject for those who think they may be experiencing a thyroid disorder.
Hyperthyroidism is a disorder of the thyroid gland that occurs when the thyroid produces an excess of thyroid hormone.The thyroid gland excretes several hormones which serve to control the metabolism in the cells of the human body. Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid doesn't produce enough hormone.

Hyperthyroidism is a fairly common disorder that affects over two million Americans, the majority of which are women. Around 85% of the cases of hyperthyroidism are caused by a disease called Graves' disease. A certain percentage of the other cases of hyperthyroidism are caused by a viral infection that causes inflammation of the thyroid gland, and other causes such as ingestion of excessive amounts of iodine and/or thyroid hormone. This inflammation of the thyroid is known as a nodular goiter.
In the early stages of hyperthyroidism many patients do not experience any symptoms so they do not get diagnosed until the disorder is in an advanced stage. Early on a patient with the disorder may experience weight loss and depression with no other major symptoms in evidence.
The typical symptoms of hyperthyroidism may include but are not limited to:

A lump in the neck caused by an enlarged thyroid gland
An intolerance to heat and increased sweating
Hand and body tremors
An increase in the resting heart rate which can lead to palpitations
Symptoms of nervousness and irritability
Insomnia and other sleep problems
Mental disturbances
Menstrual cycle disorders
Exophthalmos which is a condition affecting the eyes where they appear to bulge
Skin disorders
Irregular hair and fingernail growth
Pretibial myxdemia, which occurs in 1 to 4% of patients with Graves' disease, is a thickening of the skin which usually appears on the anterior aspect of the lower legs
An increase in the frequency of bowel movements
Weight loss with an increase in appetite

How is it Diagnosed?
The first thing that should happen is for your Doctor to perform a complete physical examination. During this examination the doctor should look for any of the typical symptoms of the disorder. If your doctor suspects hyperthyroidism he will want to do a few other tests related to the diagnosis of this disorder.
These tests should include a blood test to measure the levels of thyroid hormones including TSH, which is a thyroid stimulating hormone,T3 and T4. In order for the doctor

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