:

Does your thyroid shrink as you get older? What happens to your thyroid with age

According to the Merck Manuals, the thyroid gland does tend to shrink and shift lower in the neck as people get older, although aging itself only has minor effects on thyroid function. While this reduction in size is a normal part of the aging process, significant shrinkage, or atrophy, is often caused by an underlying autoimmune condition like Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Understanding these changes is important for monitoring thyroid health as you age.