Signs You May Have a Thyroid Disorder
Thyroid disorders come with a multitude of symptoms that can be hard to recognize from other illnesses. Thyroid disorders tend to be hard to diagnose for doctors and healthcare professionals because of their symptoms. However, once diagnosed, healthcare professionals have ways of treating the disorder.
What is Thyroid Disorder?
Thyroid disorder can be classified medically as hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland isn’t able to produce enough crucial hormones to produce energy, control growth, and manage the metabolism. When the body doesn’t produce enough of these hormones, it will slow the metabolism, causing weight gain, weariness, develop skin conditions, and other underlying medical issues. Another form of a thyroid disorder, hyperthyroidism, produces the opposite reaction, where it produces too many hormones, causing symptoms similar to hypothyroidism, but with exceptions, such as a sped-up metabolism and nervous energy.
Symptoms of Thyroid Disorder
Hypothyroidism can vary in its symptoms, including:
Tiredness/ Weariness
One of the most common but inconspicuous symptoms associated with thyroid disorder is feeling tired. Those suffering from thyroid problems will often experience issues with maintaining energy, and will constantly feel fatigued no matter how much sleep they get. Those with a low thyroid function will feel confused, shaky, and nervous regularly due to the lack of hormones produced. If you find that you’re experiencing severe fatigue, then you may need to get your thyroid checked.
Weight Gain/Loss
Lower thyroid levels can cause changes in weight due to the impact it has on the metabolism. Weight gain, typically caused by a slower metabolism, can be difficult to remove when you have an inactive thyroid. Low thyroid levels cause weight loss to be a harder task to accomplish, even with regular exercise and a healthy diet. With an overactive thyroid, the body will burn calories at a higher rate than normal, which, while it may sound great on the surface, it can become fatal when combined with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
Irregular Menstrual Cycles
Both forms of thyroidism can complicate a women’s menstrual cycle, causing intense and longer periods than normal. Periods that happen heavier and over a longer time, then it can potentially be an under-active thyroid causing the issue. For those who are producing too many hormones, periods can become lighter and more spaced apart. In these cases, thyroid function can cause problems with ovulation, which can affect pregnancies.
Thinning Hair
Thinning hair can be seen as one of the most obvious signs of a thyroid disorder because of its distinct effects on the body. Thinning hair, especially around the eyebrows, can indicate if you have a thyroid problem because the thyroid hormones control hair growth, and thus are more sensitive to thyroid issues. If you’ve been experiencing problems with hair loss, then consider speaking with your doctor about the issues you’re facing and ask about thyroidism as a potential cause.
If you have any of the symptoms above, and you believe you may be experiencing a hypothyroid or hyperthyroid disorder, then it’s time to schedule an appointment with Dr. Trang D Nguyen at the Conroe Family Doctor practice. Located in Conroe, TX, Dr. Nguyen will be able to help alleviate the symptoms you’re experiencing and help you get your life back on track.
