The thyroid is a gland that regulates your body’s metabolism, temperature, heart rate, and more. When it is overactive or underactive, it can cause many different health conditions. While the thyroid is sometimes lower functioning due to pregnancy or other big hormone fluctuations, it can also be caused by other health conditions. When the thyroid is affected, symptoms may feel generalized and difficult to communicate. When low thyroid is detected, doctors can often find the source of the problem and help come up with a solution through lifestyle, diet, supplements, and medications. Here are some of the most common symptoms.
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No Energy
If you feel like suddenly your energy is sapped, and you can’t get enough coffee or rest to make it better, this is a big indication that your thyroid is on the fritz. A low thyroid leaves many people feeling like they are always on low battery and can never recharge. No amount of coffee or sleep seems to help either. While low energy can also be caused by hormones, sleep apnea, medications, and several other factors, you can easily get a TSH test done by your doctor or through the mail. Low energy affects everything in your life, so it’s important not to ignore it for too long.
Muscle and Joint Aches (and stiffness)
Waking up and moving slowly because your joints and muscles are stiff and achy could indicate a problem with your thyroid. Low TSH levels will cause the cells in your muscles and joints to stiffen. This stiffness can be mild or very painful. Over time, the stiffness may dissipate, but comes back after sitting too long or sleeping.
Weight Gain or Problems Losing Weight
Most people associate the thyroid with weight. That’s because it’s the primary driver of the body’s metabolism. This is how quickly and efficiently the body breaks down and uses food as fuel at the cellular level. A slower metabolism means that people don’t burn the fuel as effectively and it gets stored as fat. Unexplained sudden weight gain or struggling to lose weight despite doing all the right things are a good indication that your thyroid is down. It’s important to get it checked and try and find what’s impacting your ability to lose weight.
Chronic Constipation
No one likes gastrointestinal issues. Whether it’s chronic diarrhea or chronic constipation, when things down that way aren’t running as they should, it is cause for alarm. Chronic constipation is one of the many symptoms that people with low thyroid experience. While it may seem easy to just take stool softeners daily, these are not intended for long-term use. It would be better to get to the bottom of your issues with going #2, rather than simply masking the symptoms.
Swelling
Many people with low thyroid have a puffy face. This is because the body becomes less efficient at removing excess fluid from the body. Swelling can also be present in legs and arms, with edema more likely in the feet as well. While swelling can come from heat, too much sodium and other causes, if it’s accompanied by any of these other symptoms, it may be due to an underactive thyroid.
Short-Term Memory Challenges
If you find yourself suddenly forgetting simple things like where you put down your purse, keys, or shoes, your short-term memory is being affected. The ability to quickly recall something that happened in the recent past is affected when your thyroid isn’t working the best. It might start out mild at first, but over time can impact relationships and your work if you’re forgetting to do important tasks and projects.
Slow Healing
The thyroid is a critical driver of cellular repair. When the thyroid stops working correctly, it can cause wounds to heal more slowly, sicknesses to take longer to recover from, and bones to heal slower as well. This slower healing means that people who have low thyroid are at greater risk of catching illnesses and will more likely be sick longer than people with a normal activity level thyroid.
Always Too Cold (or Too Hot)
Since the thyroid regulates your body temperature, when it stops functioning correctly, it can cause people to feel either too hot or too cold. There are people with constant clammy hands and cold feet who can never seem to feel warm enough. An underactive thyroid is a likely culprit. The inability to regulate body temperature is a good indication of a deeper problem.
Thinning Hair
Many people find the thinning hair from thyroid dysfunction to be an embarrassment. They find it challenging to address the issue because their hair starts falling out and leaving thin and in some extreme cases, bald spots. This can be especially hard for women. Thinning hair can be reversed by addressing the root causes of thyroid dysfunction. Whether it’s a hormone imbalance, a nutrient deficiency or autoimmune disorder, the right diagnosis and treatment can help.
Difficulty Having Children
Women with low thyroid may find it difficult to become pregnant or to keep a pregnancy to term. Infertility is a symptom of hypothyroidism that is very common. This can cause a lot of stress, frustration, and hurt for women who desire children. If infertility is present, it’s vital to get tested to discover the root of the issue.
Low Heart Rate
One of the scarier symptoms of low thyroid is the way that it lowers the heart rate. For people this can lead to dizzy spells, feelings of being lightheaded, and more. Low heart rates can make people pass out if they stand up too fast. This can cause broken bones, concussions, and more injury depending on how hard the fall and if there are any objects around to cause further harm.
It’s important to note that you can have low-thyroid with none of these symptoms. There are a significant number of additional signs to watch out for that may also indicate a problem with thyroid function. A thorough medical workup by your care provider would help detect any significant fluctuations that would need treatment.
