Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which there is an excessive amount of thyroid hormones circulating in the blood because of an overactive thyroid gland. ("Hyper" means "over" in Greek). Thyrotoxicosis is a term that refers to a toxic condition that is caused by an excess of thyroid hormones from any cause. Thyrotoxicosis can be caused by an excessive intake of thyroid hormone and inflammation of the thyroid gland. Because both physicians and patients often use these words interchangeably, we will take some liberty by using the term "hyperthyroidism" throughout this article.
