Thyroid has become an increasingly common issue among men and women. Consequently, you may know someone in your close friends or extended family who has been diagnosed with thyroid. Here’s the thing about the thyroid, like many other diseases, the thyroid doesn’t manifest itself clearly. It is a silent disease that can cause various issues with the functions in the body without you having any idea.
Nevertheless, there are certain signs that one may discard as other trivial health issues. But this is when you must keep your eyes open. These signs may indicate that you have thyroid and you must do something about it.
This blog will discuss some of these signs in detail.
But first, let us brush the basics, shall we?
Thyroid problems occur when the thyroid gland in your body underproduces or overproduces T3 and T4 hormones in the body. This fluctuation causes a series of issues that are contradictory in nature. In other words, if someone has hypothyroidism, the symptoms will be in complete contrast with someone having hyperthyroidism.
So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Changes in appetite
Thyroid problems can cause changes in appetite. If you have a hyperactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism, you may experience an increase in appetite. On the contrary, you may experience a loss of appetite if you have hypothyroidism. This is due to the changes in metabolism that the body undergoes when thyroid hormones exceed or decrease in production.
Brain fog
Finding it hard to focus? It may be because of thyroid issues. Brain fog is one of the common thyroid issues that impact your cognitive functions. It is usually associated with hypothyroidism. Brain fog is when people feel their thinking is fuzzy, sluggish, or muddled. They aren’t able to think clearly and they fail to align their mind on the same chain of thoughts for long. People may still experience brain fog even when their thyroid levels come to healthy levels.
Changes in weight
The changes in appetite and metabolism can cause changes in weight. In the case of hyperthyroidism, your metabolism increases, leading to unintentional weight loss. The severity of weight loss points to the severity of hyperthyroidism. On the contrary, in hypothyroidism, the metabolism slows down, leading to weight gain.
It is also possible that you may not experience any drastic changes in weight if your thyroid is only moderately overactive.
Constipation or frequent bowel movements
Once again, thyroid issues can cause contrasting symptoms. Someone with an underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism, may experience constipation and someone with an overactive thyroid may experience diarrhoea. You may experience these changes as your thyroid gland is closely associated with the digestion process in the body.
Cold intolerance and heat sensitivities
The way you perceive temperature is also affected by the thyroid. This is because your metabolism plays a huge role in regulating temperature.
Having said that, those who have hypothyroidism have trouble tolerating the cold. An underactive thyroid slows down the body’s functions. Consequently, the body cells may have less energy, which means less heat. When your body processes energy, heat is generated, keeping you warmer. Here, in this case, less energy would lead to less heat.
On the other hand, an overactive thyroid speeds up metabolism, producing more heat, and keeping you warm. Hence, you may also experience trouble tolerating heat.
You may have difficulty sleeping
Having trouble sleeping? If yes, thyroid problems can be the cause. This is usually seen in the case of hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism can cause anxiety and depression, which may affect your sleep. You may feel anxious, which can make sleeping extremely difficult. Additionally, hyperthyroidism can also cause restless leg syndrome, which may make you too active to fall asleep.
Hair loss
Have chunks of hair falling down? Hair loss can be due to thyroid. Hair loss can occur when the thyroid gland is not working properly. It can be a sign of either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
The thyroid hormone plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of hair follicles.
When the body produces excess or insufficient thyroid hormone, it can “shock the system” into a phase called telogen effluvium. It is characterised by the resting stage, wherein the hair stops growing for a while. This stage comes prematurely, sooner than it should have. In this stage, over 70% of scalp hair can fall within 2 months.
Closing thoughts
Do these signs ring any bell? If yes, it could mean you have thyroid issues. The thyroid gland is responsible for a number of functions in the body. From regulating the rate at which your body uses energy, to slowing down or speeding up heart rate, brain development, muscle contractions, and digestion, the thyroid gland has a plethora of functions that take a toll when the health of the thyroid gland is affected. As thyroid issues are silent, these signs are a cue for you to get your thyroid levels checked. A thyroid test can help diagnose thyroid issues. Gladly, they can be managed with a few lifestyle changes. The first step is the diagnosis.
