Did you know that your thyroid is one of the most important organs in your body? The thyroid gland is responsible for producing hormones that regulate metabolism, which means it’s essential for maintaining energy levels and preventing weight gain. It’s also responsible for other vital functions, such as regulating heart rate and blood pressure. But sometimes the thyroid can go wrong, causing a variety of symptoms that can make life very difficult. This article is going to take a look at some of the most common thyroid symptoms you should be aware of.
Contents
Swelling In The Neck Area
Most people know that the thyroid gland is found in your neck, but not many are aware of how it can be identified. The best place to check whether you have swelling around your thyroid gland is right above your collarbones. If there’s swelling here, it may be due to a range of factors, such as an infection or autoimmune condition. When you feel the area above your collarbones, swollen thyroid glands tend to feel soft and mushy rather than firm. However, it isn’t always possible to tell whether you have a swollen thyroid gland just from touch alone.
Hoarseness And Vocal Changes
When you have a problem with your thyroid gland, it’s not just your energy levels that can be affected. You may also find that you suddenly become hoarse or develop problems with your voice, which makes communication difficult and reduces the quality of life for both the sufferer and those around them. If you notice a change in hoarseness or vocal quality, it’s important to see a doctor to determine the underlying cause.
Feeling Hot All The Time
Do you find yourself suddenly feeling hot all the time, even when you haven’t done anything particularly strenuous? This can be one of the first signs that something is wrong with your thyroid gland. Since it’s responsible for regulating your core body temperature. If you have a thyroid condition, your body may become unable to regulate its own heat levels effectively. You may feel hot when it’s cold outside or find that the room feels hotter than usual.
Sudden Weight Change
Weight gain is one of the most common thyroid symptoms, but weight loss can also be a sign. When you suddenly start to lose weight for no apparent reason, it’s possible that your thyroid gland isn’t working properly. This unexplained loss of weight may not only cause physical discomfort and health concerns, but it can also affect someone’s mental health and self-esteem. However, thyroid weight loss is still not fully understood. So it’s important to consult a doctor to rule out other potential causes of weight loss such as depression or anorexia.
Hair Loss
One of the more common signs of thyroid dysfunction is hair loss. The thyroid gland is responsible for producing hormones that regulate the rate at which new hair grows. As well as the texture and thickness of your existing hair. When it malfunctions, you may find that patches of your hair fall out or you lose a significant amount all over your head. However, there are several other factors that can cause this symptom, so it’s important to see a doctor before coming to any conclusions.
Feeling Weak And Fatigued
Do your energy levels suddenly decrease? Does everyday or normal activities become tiring and difficult? Feeling fatigued is an extremely common symptom of thyroid dysfunction. However, there are often no other symptoms present. If you feel extremely tired during the day, it’s worth seeing a doctor to check whether your thyroid gland is responsible. The reason your thyroid may be responsible is that it regulates your metabolism. Without a healthy thyroid gland, your body may struggle to convert energy from the food you eat into usable energy that can fuel everyday tasks.
Dry Skin And Sensitive Skin
How your skin feels can be determined by a range of factors, and one of those is the health and function of your thyroid gland. If you have a malfunctioning thyroid gland, it may be unable to produce enough hormones to regulate the oil production in the skin. This means that you’ll experience dry or sensitive skin. As well as acne breakouts, which can affect your appearance and self-esteem.
Trembling Hands
Tremors in your hands are one of the more severe symptoms that can indicate thyroid dysfunction. One of the functions of your thyroid gland is to keep calcium levels at a steady level. It does this by releasing hormones known as calcitonin and parathyroid hormone. If your thyroid isn’t working properly or you don’t have enough thyroxine, these hormones may be in short supply. Which can lead to tremors in your hands or even seizures.
Abnormal Menstrual Periods
Abnormal periods can be a sign of an imbalance in hormones, which is often caused by thyroid dysfunction. In fact, it’s not unheard of for women with thyroid problems to have prolonged or missing menstrual cycles that aren’t related to pregnancy. One reason this might occur is that the ovaries require thyroxine produced by the thyroid gland to produce estrogen and progesterone. If your body doesn’t have the thyroxine required, your hormones won’t be produced as effectively as they should be.
Diarrhea And Constipation
The health of your digestive system can also indicate a problem with your thyroid gland. Your thyroid helps manage many of the functions associated with healthy digestion. One of these is regulating how full your colon gets, which can impact whether you have diarrhea or constipation. The gland also controls the rate at which nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream from food that has been digested in the small intestine.
Conclusion
While it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of thyroid dysfunction, it’s also important not to panic. There are numerous reasons why you might experience any of these symptoms that have nothing to do with your thyroid system. Your doctor can perform simple tests that will quickly determine whether there’s an issue. If there is they can prescribe treatment options to alleviate it. Although it’s scary most thyroid-related problems can be solved with simple changes.
