Thyroid Disease that Mimics Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s Disease is a chronic movement disorder that gets worse over time. There are diseases that have symptoms that mimic Parkinson’s Disease and one of these is thyroid disease.

Hyperthyroidism

• Your thyroid is located in front of your throat and produces hormones that are responsible for regulating your body’s metabolism. When your body produces too many of these hormones, it can result in an overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism.

Causes

• Graves' disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. This is an autoimmune disease that attacks your thyroid gland and causes it to produce too much of the thyroid hormone, thyroxin, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms

• Hyperthyroidism has many of the same symptoms as Parkinson’s--and so does Graves' disease. Tremors of the hands, fatigue, anxiety and vision problems are Parkinson-like symptoms that are typical of Graves' disease.

Treatments for Hyperthyroidism

• Anti-thyroid medications that will stop your thyroid from producing too many hormones are one course of treatment. Beta-blocking drugs will help manage some of the Parkinson-like symptoms, such as, trembling, anxiety, and rapid heart rate, according to The Hormone Foundation. Surgery to remove your thyroid is also an option. This is a risky surgery due to possible damage to your voice box, so it should be chosen as a last resort.

Testing

• Your doctor will examine your neck to feel for any sign of an enlarged thyroid. Blood tests are also done to see how high your thyroid hormone levels are.