The thyroid gland is a small formation at the base of the throat with a major role in the energetic metabolism of the cells. Diseases of the gland appear when the thyroid cells tend to work to fast or to slow and the adjacent symptoms in the body occur. Most of the thyroid conditions are not age related; though, elder persons tend to suffer from more difficult diseases and much more hard to diagnose because of the connected other affections.

Uncontrolled diabetes, bad nutrition, liver problems, heart failure and cancer are some of the conditions that harden the diagnose of thyroid diseases in older persons. Also heparin and drugs for epilepsy, Parkinson, arthritis and aspirin can produce changes in the thyroid testing even in case of a normal functioning gland. Symptoms of the thyroid dysfunction caused by different factors are often mistaken by aging signs and are commonly overviewed.

Although hyperthyroidism can also occur at any age, hypothyroidism occurs more frequent in elderly people. It represents an under-active condition with a lower secretion and release of thyroid hormones. The most common symptoms encountered in hypothyroidism are dry skin and coarse hair, sensation of cold, loss of the eyebrows and lethargy. Elder persons however can also present neurological signs like shaking and psychological effects such as depression. Other medical conditions and signs of the aging process can make the diagnose of thyroid dysfunction even harder.

The standard treatment for hypothyroidism is the administration of a synthetically hormone called thyroxin or levothyroxin that should bring things back to normal. The cure usually lasts for 6-8 weeks before any signs of improvement appear, but the treatment for hypothyroidism is life-long. Periodical examinations are done to check the efficiency of the drugs.

Hyperthyroidism also known as goiter is the reverse condition and evolves usually with changes in the eye area. The tissues of the gland are overactive or the gland goes to a swelling process. In geographical points like Germany or Eastern Europe hyperthyroidism is mainly caused by the deficiency of Iodine in the drinking water.

Most commonly encountered symptoms of an excessive working thyroid are the loss of weight and appetite, flutter of the whole body, heart failure, sweating, staring eyes, depression, lethargy and confusion. The precise diagnose is established after blood testing for the hormone level but doctors must carefully separate a thyroid condition from other diseases or caused by different medications.

The endocrinologist will firstly recommend drugs to rehabilitate the function of the gland but usually the treatment will last the whole life. Surgical removal of the thyroid or destroying the glandular tissue by radioactive Iodine is some of the methods available. Both ways are relatively risk-free; Iodine can occasionally produce pain, tenderness or thyroid swelling. Surgery is appealed at in case of a very large goiter.

Thyroid cancers are more frequent in old persons but can occur at any age in form of glandular nodules. The treatment will consist of surgery, chemotherapy and external radiotherapy.