fbpx
Connect with us
Apply Now

Health + Fitness

8 Common Signs of Thyroid Illness in Children

Thyroid illness, whether in children or in adults, takes the form of one of two variants: hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. Both conditions are caused by a malfunction in the operation of the thyroid, but the results are polar opposites. Hyperthyroidism is the result of too much thyroid hormone in the patient’s system, while hypothyroidism is the result of too little thyroid hormone in the patient’s system. Thyroid illness is often thought of being a disease affecting middle-aged people, most often women, but in fact, it can strike at any age and affect either gender (although women are statistically slightly more likely to be affected by thyroid issues). Thyroid issues can even affect children – sometimes even before they are born. 

The following 8 signs and symptoms may be an indication that you should take your child to a doctor to have their thyroid function tested as soon as possible. Treatment is finicky to get right, but once the correct dose has been ascertained, your child will be able to live a full and rewarding life, albeit one in which they will have to take medication daily. Click here to learn more about thyroid meds, such as Liothyronine at International Pharmacy

Signs of Hyperthyroidism in Children 

Anxiety

Children who have excess thyroid hormone in their systems are often mistaken for children with anxiety. They can have trouble concentrating, are often shaky in their hands and can be jumpy. They often have trouble sleeping too, which only exacerbates the faulty diagnosis of anxiety, which is actually a symptom caused by the overabundance of thyroid hormone in their bodies. 

Bulging Eyes 

Occasionally, an effect of the hyperthyroid condition, Grave’s Disease, is to cause the immune system to attack the muscles around the eye and eye socket. This causes the patient’s eyes to bulge out, giving them a distinctive, somewhat surprised, look. If your child’s eyes seem to be bulging out of their sockets – especially if this is a recent development – book a doctor’s appointment as soon as you can so that treatment can get underway. 

Increased Appetite but No Weight Gain 

While this symptom might cause a twinge of envy in perennial dieters, it is actually not an ideal symptom at all as it brings along with it a host of other issues, many of which make the sufferer quite uncaring about their appearance. It is especially problematic in children who require large amounts of healthy nutrition every day. 

Increased Perspiration 

If your child suddenly becomes a clammy, sweaty child having not been so before, you should be alert to the possibility of the onset of hyperthyroidism, particularly if there have been other symptoms and there is no rational explanation for the sweatiness. 

Signs of Hypothyroidism 

Always Cold

Thyroid hormone helps the body to regulate its temperature so it is a common sign for thyroid patients to complain of being too hot (hyperthyroid) or too cold (hypothyroid). This can be so severe that a hypothyroid child can be shivering while wearing a sweater on a hot summer day. 

Always Tired and Lethargic 

As children grow, they can ‘outgrow their strength’ and have periods of being quite lethargic and reluctant to move. If this is not accompanied with a growth spurt, it may be a sign that something is going wrong with the thyroid, and should be checked out promptly. 

Swelling and Weight Gain 

An insufficiency of thyroid hormone can cause puffiness and also active weight gain, even without the child eating a lot. In fact, this will appear as the exact opposite of the same condition with a hyperthyroid child: they will eat little and not be very hungry but will gain weight – something that both parents and the child can feel very badly about. 

Dry and Brittle Hair, Skin and Nails 

The thyroid’s work in the body is widespread and important, and one of the signs of an insufficiency of thyroid hormone is dry brittle hair; nails that break easily; and skin that feels coarse and rough, even after the repeated application of moisturizers.

Continue Reading
Advertisement Apply Now


Copyright © 2022 Disrupt ™ Magazine is a Minority Owned Privately Held Company - Disrupt ™ was founder by Puerto Rican serial entrepreneur and philanthropist Tony Delgado who is on a mission to transform Latin America using the power of education and entrepreneurship.

Disrupt ™ Magazine
151 Calle San Francisco
Suite 200
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00901

Opinions expressed by Disrupt Contributors are their own. Disrupt Magazine invites voices from many diverse walks of life to share their perspectives on our contributor platform. We are big believers in freedom of speech and while we do enforce our community guidelines, we do not actively censor stories on our platform because we want to give our contributors the freedom to express their opinions. Articles are not commissioned by our editorial team, and opinions expressed by our community contributors do not reflect the opinions of Disrupt or its employees.
We are committed to fighting the spread of misinformation online so if you feel an article on our platform goes against our community guidelines or contains false information, we do encourage you to report it. We need your help to fight the spread of misinformation. For more information please visit our Contributor Guidelines available here.


Disrupt ™ is the voice of latino entrepreneurs around the world. We are part of a movement to increase diversity in the technology industry and we are focused on using entrepreneurship to grow new economies in underserved communities both here in Puerto Rico and throughout Latin America. We enable millennials to become what they want to become in life by learning new skills and leveraging the power of the digital economy. We are living proof that all you need to succeed in this new economy is a landing page and a dream. Disrupt tells the stories of the world top entrepreneurs, developers, creators, and digital marketers and help empower them to teach others the skills they used to grow their careers, chase their passions and create financial freedom for themselves, their families, and their lives, all while living out their true purpose. We recognize the fact that most young people are opting to skip college in exchange for entrepreneurship and real-life experience. Disrupt Magazine was designed to give the world a taste of that.