People with autoimmune thyroid disease are at a higher risk than the general population of having coeliac disease. Between 1.5% – 3.8% of people with autoimmune thyroid disease also have coeliac disease compared to 1% in the general population.

There are two types of thyroid disorder:

Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid

This is when the body produces too much thyroid hormone.

Graves’ disease is the most common cause of an overactive thyroid. It can run in families and can occur at any age. In Graves’ disease, the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, which leads to an overproduction of the thyroid hormones.

Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid

This is when the body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a type of thyroiditis where the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland, causing it to gradually swell so it becomes damaged. It is recommended that anyone with autoimmune thyroid disease is offered testing for coeliac disease at the time of diagnosis.

Find out more information getting diagnosed with coeliac disease here.