One of the most important parts of the body also happens to be one of the smallest ones. The butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck plays a role in many vital body functions such as heart rate and metabolism, and it helps regulate mood, muscle strength, body weight, energy levels, and cholesterol, to name a few.
A blood test can help determine if the thyroid is functioning normally or if it produces too little or too few thyroid hormones. When the thyroid doesn’t function properly, the symptoms can be vague and the problem can remain undiagnosed for years. The consequences can vary from chronic fatigue to infertility.
To compile a list of common signs of thyroid problems, 24/7 Tempo reviewed numerous sites that focus on health and thyroid issues specifically.
One in eight women will have a dysfunctional thyroid during her life, which can cause menstrual problems, difficulty getting pregnant, as well as health problems once a woman is pregnant. Women who have gone through radiotherapy or have anemia or Type 1 diabetes are at a higher risk for thyroid disease.
More women than men have thyroid disease, including thyroid cancer, which can be detected with a biopsy or imaging tests, including an MRI, an ultrasound, a radioiodine scan, or a chest X-ray. About 33,000 women are diagnosed with thyroid cancer a year, and 1,000 women die from the disease.
Similar to thyroid disease, many other health problems are hiding behind vague symptoms most people dismiss as being the result of lack of sleep or too much stress. Here are 28 warning signs you are in bad health.
Very tired throughout the day
If people need a lot of coffee throughout the day, they may have an underlying hormonal issue caused by a dysfunctional thyroid gland. A major sign that the tiny but powerful butterfly-like gland at the base of the neck doesn’t produce enough of the hormones that control how the body uses energy is chronic fatigue.
And what do most people do when they feel tired but it’s not bedtime yet? They drink coffee. Alas, caffeine, although a stimulant, inhibits thyroid function, according to internal medicine specialist and medical director of the Ash Center Comprehensive Medicine in New York, Alyson Pidich.
Feeling cold all the time
Thyroid problems can confuse your internal thermostat. An underactive thyroid could result in feeling chills all the time because you have less energy available for the body to keep warm. On the other hand, an overactive thyroid puts energy-producing cells into overdrive, making you sweat.
The thyroid produces hormones that regulate thermogenesis, also called heat production, acting both in peripheral and central organs. They influence how much blood vessels dilate, affecting how much heat leaves the body.
Heavy sweating
Excessive sweating can be the result of many issues, including excess weight and stress. But it could also mean thyroid problems. People with a thyroid condition may sweat excessively because the body is producing too much thyroxine, a hormone the thyroid gland secretes into the bloodstream. The hormone imbalance speeds up the metabolism, resulting in a higher body temperature.
Brittle nail
Changes in fingernails are often related to diet, but brittle nails can also indicate thyroid disease. As body functions slow down due to a decrease in thyroid hormones, nails grow slower, causing them to change their overall shape. Also, because the body produces less sweat when the thyroid gland is underactive, the nails — as well as hair and skin — tend to be drier.
Anxiety
Your thyroid may be producing too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) or too little (hypothyroidism). When the thyroid is overactive, a person may feel nervousness and have rapid heartbeat and hand tremors, among other symptoms.
Lack of focus
There is some evidence that an underactive thyroid can take a substantial toll on mental health. Thyroid hormone deficiency slows the body’s functions, including neurological functions. As a result, some people may have trouble concentrating and even have short-term memory loss. Having difficulty making decisions may also indicate an underactive thyroid, though such problems in executive functioning are more often caused by other conditions.
High blood pressure
Hypertension is not usually associated with thyroid problems. However, both hypo- and hyperthyroidism may cause high blood pressure, known as secondary hypertension. Excess thyroid hormone causes the heart to beat faster and harder, resulting in a faster heart rate and an increase in blood pressure.
Constipation
Constipation, which is usually defined as having fewer than three bowel movements a week, is a very common symptom of hypothyroidism. When the thyroid gland doesn’t make enough hormones, the body’s functions, including bowel movements, slow down. The opposite can also be a sign of a thyroid condition — overactive glands can cause diarrhea or more frequent bowel movements.
Irregular periods
The hormonal changes caused by a thyroid disease may also affect the reproductive system. Menstrual abnormalities are common among women who have a thyroid condition. Depending on whether the thyroid is under- or overactive, a period may be longer, heavier or lighter, or very irregular. This is why symptoms of thyroid problems in older women are sometimes thought to be caused by menopause. Hypothyroidism may also lead to women having difficulties conceiving. When thyroid hormone levels are too low, a woman may not be ovulating regularly.
Dry skin
Hypothyroidism may often cause dry skin, but other skin changes, including itchiness with a rash and coarse skin, are also possible. Insufficient thyroid hormones slow down metabolism, which reduces sweating, resulting in dryness. Also, the skin’s natural ability to heal itself may be affected, causing itchy skin.
Heart palpitations
Heart palpitations can cause people to feel like their heart is pounding, fluttering, or beating irregularly. These sensations are usually felt in the chest, throat, or neck. Such heart palpitations may be caused by too many thyroid hormones, which stimulate the heart to beat faster and more strongly.
Trouble sleeping at night
Hyperthyroidism overstimulates the nervous system. An overactive gland can make people stay awake at night by making them anxious and increasing their pulse. A thyroid hormone imbalance may also cause night sweats, resulting in multiple disruptions of sleep.
Hair loss
Though not often, especially if a person’s thyroid condition is not severe, hair loss may sometimes be due to thyroid hormones being out of balance. Thyroid hormones trigger hair growth. When the body has too much or too little thyroid hormones, the hair growth cycle is disrupted, causing hair to fall out, leading to thinning across the scalp.
Weight gain
Unexplained weight gain is one of the most common signs of a thyroid not working right. Gaining weight may be the result of an underactive thyroid, resulting in significantly slower metabolism. However, the extra weight a person with hypothyroidism gains is usually salt and water, according to the American Thyroid Association.
Weight loss
With an overactive thyroid gland, a person often ends up losing weight because the body needs more calories to maintain its weight, resulting in more calories burned.
Increased appetite
A good appetite is a sign of good health, or so the saying goes. But if a person feels hungry all the time and that’s unusual, then the increased appetite may be a sign of hyperthyroidism. An overactive thyroid leads to an increase in metabolism, which in itself means that more calories are needed needed to maintain body weight — hence the increased appetite.