About 4.6 percent of the United States population suffers from underactive thyroid .
The risk for developing hypothyroidism and infertility is higher in women over age 50 and postpartum females.
If you have multiple signs and symptoms of this problem, ask your doctor to check your
thyroid hormone levels and get treatment of thyroid.
Here are the signs and symptoms that you have an underactive thyroid.
1. Unexplained Weight Gain
Weight gain without any change in diet or physical activity may indicate low levels of thyroid hormones.
These hormones help regulate basal metabolism and thermogenesis as well as the metabolism
of fats and glucose.
An underactive thyroid contributes to a lower metabolic rate, which may cause excess weight gain.
If you have unexplained weight gain, it is essential to consult your doctor to determine
the exact cause and get hypothyroidism treatment weight loss.
2.
Dry and Flaky Skin If you are following your usual beauty and
skin care regimen and haven’t changed any of the products you use but your skin is dry
and itchy, it could be a symptom of hypothyroidism or thyroid dry skin.
The change in skin texture and appearance can be due to reduced blood circulation, one
of the side effects of having low thyroid hormones.
In addition, a slowed metabolism due to low thyroid hormone production can reduce sweating.
Without proper sweating, the skin becomes dry and flaky.
As these skin signs are rather nonspecific and often subtle, people tend to ignore them
or attribute them to other causes.
It is best to consult your doctor to see if there is an underlying health condition causing
these skin changes.
3.
Muscle Soreness and Pain People suffering from hypothyroidism often
experience muscle weakness, pain, stiffness, or cramping.
There may also be general joint pain.
Low metabolism disrupts how your body burns energy, which can affect how your muscles
feel after doing your regular exercises.
Low thyroid often increases inflammation that may be contributing to your muscle and joint
pain.
In fact, about 40 percent of the hypothyroid patients had predominantly sensory signs of
a sensorimotor axonal neuropathy early in the course of thyroid disease.
4.
Hair Loss hypothyroidism hair loss and Proper functioning
of the thyroid gland is essential for the development and maintenance of the hair follicles,
and an underactive thyroid can result in significant changes in hair growth and texture.
It may also affect eyebrows and body hair.
The thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) modulate several aspects of hair anatomy,
from the hair growth cycle to the hair’s pigmentation.
If you are worried about hair loss and other hair-related issues, see your doctor to get
your thyroid checked.
5.
Constant Fatigue and Tiredness Fatigue and extreme tiredness are very common
in people who have an underactive thyroid.
When low thyroid hormones flow through the blood, cells do not function properly, leading
to less energy, fatigue and constant tiredness.
These symptoms persist even after getting proper sleep and rest.
A 2012 study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology notes that autoimmune hypothyroidism
patients had significantly higher levels of fatigue as compared with differentiated thyroid
carcinoma patients health thyroid.
6.
Menstrual and Fertility Problems Women with hypothyroidism may experience menstrual
as well as fertility problems.
Thyroid hormones have a great influence on menstruation, thyroid pregnancy, lactation
and even uterine involution after childbirth.
In fact, the study puts emphasis on the assessment of thyroid function in all patients with menstrual
disorders to avoid unnecessary interventions like curettage and hysterectomy.
Infertility can also be due to undiagnosed thyroid conditions.
For any change in menstrual pattern as well as problems becoming pregnant, it is important
to get your thyroid checked.