Hey there, viewers!
Thyroid disorders are so common, a large minority of people will have them at some point in
their lives.
In fact, women are eight times more likely to get one!
It’s very important you know about the signs that help you identify thyroid problems.
In today’s video, we’re going to talk about signs that indicate you have a low thyroid
level.
Do you feel tired often?
Are you gaining weight?
What about weakness and aches in your muscles and joints?
Could feeling cold be a sign of low thyroid?
We’ll talk about all of these AND more...
1.
Gaining Weight People who have low thyroid levels tend to
put on a lot of weight.
When your thyroid levels are low, you’re telling your body parts to not get rid of
the calories.
Your metabolism rate also goes down.
In fact, your metabolism tends to switch modes when you have low thyroid levels.
Instead of burning calories when you’re resting, it reduces the amount you consume
while not doing any activity.
As a result, you end up storing a lot of fat in your body.
Even if you’re cutting down on the number of calories you consume, you still tend to
put on weight.
In one study, people who were diagnosed with hypothyroidism gained around 15-30 pounds
within the first year of their diagnosis.
Have you ever experienced sudden weight gain?
Did you do anything to prevent it?
Sound off in the comment section, and start a conversation with our Bestie community...
2.
Hair Loss Everybody starts losing hair at some point
in their life.
If your thyroid levels are low, you might be losing your hair sooner than you think.
Like most cells in your body, your hair follicles are also regulated by the thyroid hormone.
Considering hair follicles have a shorter lifespan and higher turnover, they tend to
be a lot more sensitive to the body’s thyroid levels.
When you have hypothyroidism, your hair follicles don’t regenerate.
This can result in heavy hair loss.
Ideally, you can fix this situation by getting treatment for your thyroid.
In one study, up to 30% of the people who went to a doctor with hair loss complaints
were found to have low thyroid levels.
That number increased to 40% when it came to people over the age of 40 years.
3.
Fatigue Do you feel tired often?
Like you wake up after a good night’s sleep, yet you still feel sluggish?
People might brush off constant tiredness as nothing serious, but it could be a sign
of a deep underlying problem.
The thyroid hormone is responsible for controlling your energy balance.
It controls your urge to go out and be active, as well as your desire to go to bed and sleep.
In a study of nearly 150 adults, people with low thyroid levels reported feeling physically
exhausted and had lower activity levels.
They also reported feeling mentally tired, and had a lack of motivation to go out and
do things.
If you have low thyroid levels, you’ll feel like a ton of bricks.
This will get in the way of your daily errands, or your ability to be active in general.
It’s almost like you have zero motivation to do anything.
The best thing to do would be to talk to a doctor.
They will diagnose your issue, and offer advice on how to improve your sleeping habits, or
boost your energy levels.
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4.
Depression Are you feeling down and out lately?
Hypothyroidism has also been linked to depression.
Keep in mind the reasons for this are not completely clear.
After all, there are a number of things that can make you feel sad.
Around 64% of women and 57% of men with hypothyroidism also report feelings of depression.
The same amount of men and women also claim to be suffering from anxiety.
Depression could be a sign of mental symptoms related to the decrease in your energy levels
and health.
In one study, people who were given thyroid hormone replacement had improved depression
levels compared to the placebo group.
5.
Feeling Cold When you burn a lot of calories, your body
tends to get warm.
This is the reason you feel very hot when you’re working out.
Even when you’re simply sitting and reading a book, or working on your laptop, you’re
still burning calories.
But when your thyroid levels are low, there is a decrease in the basal metabolic rate.
This means you won’t be burning enough calories while resting, and as a result, you tend to
feel a lot colder than the people around you.
Of course, some people just like to be warmer, but if you suddenly feel cold out of nowhere,
it could be a sign of hypothyroidism.
Don’t just grab a blanket and try to warm yourself.
Talk to a doctor ASAP.
6.
Pain In Your Muscles And Joints When you have low thyroid levels, your metabolic
switch is turned to catabolism.
This means your body starts to break down tissues in search for energy.
This includes your muscle tissue.
As a result, your muscle strength decreases, and you might feel weak.
This can cause your muscles to ache.
In one study, participants with low thyroid levels were divided into two groups.
One group was given a synthetic thyroid hormone known as levothyroxine (lee-vo-thigh-roxin),
while the other group was given no treatment whatsoever.
The group that had the treatment reported fewer aches and pains along with higher muscle
strength compared to those that did not get the treatment.
While aches and pains are normal when you’re working out, increased pain for no reason
can be a sign of hypothyroidism.
Before we move ahead, here’s another video you might like.
Just like thyroid hormones, there are several other hormones in your body that can cause
health complications.
Check out 9 Natural Ways To Balance Your Hormones.
Now back to our discussion on Signs That Your Thyroid Levels Are Low...
7.
Itchy and Dry Skin Do you find yourself scratching more than
you usually do?
Just like your hair follicles, skin cells also have a high turnover.
As a result, they’re also sensitive to the thyroid levels in your body.
The normal skin cycle can be broken, and your skin could end up taking a longer time to
regrow.
The result of this is that you might have itchy and dry skin.
This is because your outer skin has been left exposed for a longer period of time, and will
show the damage.
The dead skin will also take a longer time to shed, which ends up giving you dry skin.
8.
Extreme Confusion A number of people with hypothyroidism also
complain about having a foggy brain.
They have trouble concentrating on things they wouldn’t normally have a problem with.
This mental fogginess varies from person to person.
Research among people with low thyroid levels showed that 22% of the participants had a
reduced ability to do math.
Similarly, 36% of the participants claimed their thinking was slower than usual, while
39% of participants reported having a poorer memory than usual.
While it’s not yet understood what the cause is, people who get thyroid treatment often
claim that their memory has improved.
9.
Constipation When you have low thyroid levels, you tend
to suffer from constipation.
In the study we just discussed about the foggy brain, 17% of the participants with hypothyroidism
complained about constipation.
This was compared to only 10% of the group whose thyroid levels were normal.
In the same study, about 20% of the group with hypothyroidism also said their constipation
was getting worse, compared to only 6% of the group with normal thyroid levels.
However, before you start thinking you have hypothyroidism, it’s best to try some laxatives.
If it still doesn’t resolve your constipation, you can check with your doctor about your
thyroid levels.
10.
Heavy Menstruation In women, hypothyroidism can also cause irregular
or heavy menstruation.
In one study, it was seen that 30% of women suffering with hypothyroidism also had irregular
and heavy periods.
The reason for irregular periods is because the thyroid hormone also interacts with other
hormones in your body that control the menstrual cycle.
As a result, when the thyroid levels are low, it can cause disruption.
Along with this, the thyroid hormone also has a direct affect on your ovaries and uterus.
While there might be several other issues causing irregular or heavy periods, you can
check with your gynecologist to see if your thyroid levels are the cause.
Interested in knowing more about your thyroid gland?
Well, you now know what signs to look out for.
Let’s keep the conversation with a couple more thyroid-related videos, shall we?
Here’s what you need to know...
Check out 16 Easy Ways To Treat Your Thyroid Naturally.
You can also check out 13 Foods That Can Help Heal Your Thyroid.
Go ahead, click one.
Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about taking care of your thyroid health.
Did you notice any of these low thyroid signs?
Are you planning on getting your thyroid levels checked?
Let us know in the comments below!