What causes or increases my risk of having subclinical hyperthyroidism?
• Autoimmune disease: The immune system is the part of your body that fights infection. A problem with the immune system may make your body attack even its own cells. The most common autoimmune disease that may cause this condition is early Grave’s disease. • Diet: Having too much or too little iodine in your diet and taking medicines with iodine may cause this condition. Iodine is an important mineral used by the thyroid gland to work correctly. • Family history: Having a family member with thyroid disease or autoimmune disease may increase your risk. • Medicines: This includes taking steroids or certain medicines for heart problems. Taking too much thyroid hormones to treat other thyroid diseases, such as hypothyroidism, also increases your risk. • Other diseases: These include having conditions that affect the pituitary, hypothalamus, or thyroid gland.
