Who Should Get Checked for Thyroid Disease?

Family History:

A good place to look for thyroid disorder symptoms is your family history. If you have a first-degree relative (a parent, sibling, or child) with hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, or thyroid nodules, you would benefit from thyroid evaluation. Women are much more likely to be thyroid patients than men.

Prescription Medications:

If you are taking Lithium or Amiodarone, consider a thyroid evaluation.

Radiation Therapy to the Head or Neck:

If you have had any of the following radiation therapies, consider a thyroid evaluation with your endocrinologist: radiation therapy for tonsils, radiation therapy for an enlarged thymus, or radiation therapy for acne.

Nuclear disasters:

If you lived near Chernobyl at the time (1986) of the nuclear accident or the Fukushima Daiichi accident, consider a thyroid evaluation.

Feel a lump in your throat/hoarseness

The thyroid is located in the front of your neck. If is is enlarged, it is called a goiter.