What Are Early Warning Signs of Thyroid Problems? 9 Symptoms To Look For
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It’s only 2:00 PM and you’re pouring your third cup of coffee. No matter how much caffeine you drink or how many hours of sleep you get at night, you just don’t feel alert enough to make it through your day.
You eat healthy and go to the gym, but you just can’t seem to lose the weight you inexplicably put on. You find that no matter what you do to take care of yourself, you’re still constantly tired and struggling to look and feel your best.
It is possible that your thyroid could be to blame. If it is underproducing the hormones your body needs, then your body will feel the effects of it not doing its job.
This article will help you identify 9 of the common symptoms associated with hypothyroidism and how they might make you feel.
Table of Contents
How Does Your Body Feel When You Have Thyroid Problems?
Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in your neck. It is small and unassuming, but it plays a big role in making sure that you look and feel your best. So, when it does not produce enough of the hormones needed to support your body’s functions, you feel the effects in your daily life.
Symptoms may vary from person to person, and often, many of the signs of thyroid problems can be overlooked early on and attributed to a variety of other individual causes. You might notice unexplainable weight gain or weight loss, abnormal fatigue, and changes in your skin and hair to name a few.
9 Early Warnings Signs of Thyroid Problems
So, what are the early warning signs of thyroid problems? Some common symptoms that people with an underactive or overactive thyroid may experience are:
- Unusual fatigue
- Unexplained weight fluctuations
- Sensitivity to temperature
- Hair and skin issues
- Vision problems
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Difficulty sleeping
- Depression
- Anxiety/Irritability
People will often look at each symptom in isolation instead of looking at them as pieces to the puzzle that is thyroid disease. But if you know what the early warning signs of thyroid disease are, you can get a jump start on helping yourself feel your best.
#1: Unusual Fatigue
Your alarm goes off after you’ve gotten an adequate amount of sleep but you still feel extremely tired no matter how many hours of sleep you get. Could your thyroid be the culprit?
The fatigue associated with thyroid disease is more overwhelming than just feeling tired. It is a consuming feeling of exhaustion that affects your daily life.
An underactive thyroid may be producing too little of the hormone needed to help you feel rested no matter how much sleep you get.
An overactive thyroid may be producing too much of the hormone that allows you to fall asleep quickly.
#2: Unexplained Weight Fluctuations
You eat right and you exercise but you still can’t seem to lose weight. In fact, no matter what you do it seems like you’re gaining weight.
Did you know your thyroid plays a crucial role in regulating your basal metabolic rate?
When your thyroid is overactive or underactive you may notice changes in your weight despite efforts to lose or gain weight:
- When you have hypothyroidism and your thyroid is not producing enough hormones to regulate your body’s weight, you may notice rapid weight gain due to your metabolism slowing down.
- Alternately, when your thyroid is overactive (hyperthyroidism), you may experience noticeable weight loss without a change in diet or exercise.
Don’t feel defeated though. Diet and exercise are still important when dealing with thyroid issues. You may be able to control symptoms of hypothyroidism with
diet and supplements.
#3: Temperature Sensitivity
Your office keeps the temperature at a balmy 78 degrees, but you find yourself layering in blankets and sweaters while your coworkers are in t-shirts. Or maybe you find yourself sweating and feeling hot while everyone else around you is shivering. Either way, your thyroid could be to blame.
If you’re constantly feeling like you’re cold and can’t get warm no matter what you try, your underactive thyroid could be to blame.
The thyroid regulates internal body temperature, so when there’s an issue, a person’s sense of temperature can be altered.
Lower levels of thyroid hormones can lead to the perception of cold and elevated thyroid hormones can lead to experiencing warmth, no matter what the actual temperature of your environment is.
#4: Changes in Hair and Skin
Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body?
Your skin cells are regulated by thyroid hormones by controlling the skin cell turnover rate. Patients with hypothyroidism often have dry skin. These dead cells can make your skin look dull and lackluster.
Your luscious locks may also be affected by hypothyroidism. Hair growth is primarily controlled by the thyroid hormones, so when you have low levels of the hormones you may experience excess thinning and/or hair loss.
#5: Vision Problems
As you get older you may notice your vision may not be as clear or vibrant as it used to be. You may just blame this on your age, but it may be related to thyroid disease.
Your thyroid hormones play a role in the development of cones, which affect how well you see things up close and far away. Hypothyroidism can also cause chronic dry eyes and blurry vision.
Some people with hypothyroidism may also experience color changes and color loss due to an underactive thyroid.
When your thyroid overproduces hormones, conditions (like Grave’s Disease) can cause eye problems as well, such as blurred or double vision, red eyes, bulging eyes, dry eyes, and overall eye sensitivity.
If your vision problems are because of thyroid issues, then you may need more than just glasses to help you in the long term.
#6: Gastrointestinal Issues
Stomach problems can be debilitating. When your stomach hurts or you have diarrhea being able to get anything done is near impossible because you feel chained to your bathroom.
Your stomach issues like loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, bloating, and indigestion may be because of an underactive thyroid.
Hypothyroidism increases the risk of an overgrowth or imbalance of bacteria in your digestive system. This is known as Small Intestinal Overgrowth (SIBO). Over half of patients suffering from hypothyroidism report gastrointestinal issues associated with
SIBO.
#7: Difficulty Sleeping
Your house is quiet because everyone else is asleep as you watch your clock go from 11:00 PM to 2:00 AM, and before you know it your alarm is going off.
If your thyroid isn’t functioning properly, your brain isn’t getting the signals it needs to fall asleep and stay asleep:
- Patients with an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) may find themselves suffering from insomnia because of an overproduction of hormones that affect sleep.
- Patients who suffer from an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) often find themselves unable to get quality sleep because of other symptoms of hypothyroidism such as constantly being cold and unable to get comfortable, anxious thoughts, or muscle and joint pain.
There may not be a magic sleep fairy that can help you get a solid eight hours of quality sleep a night, but if your sleep problems are because of hypothyroidism then there are ways you can treat the symptoms that are keeping you up at night.
#8: Depression
Do you feel like no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to get out of the mental rut you’re in? If you feel like you are living life constantly fighting to feel happy, your thyroid may be making things difficult for you.
The thyroid hormone creates and regulates neurotransmitters like serotonin. Low serotonin levels are linked to depression.
Individual symptoms of hypothyroidism such as excessive fatigue, weight gain, and chronic hair and skin problems also contribute to the risk and severity of feelings associated with depression.
#9: Anxiety and Irritability
You wake up in the morning and groggily look in the mirror to see that your skin is dull, your hair is thinning, and your face is bloated. On top of the physical, visible symptoms of hypothyroidism, you are becoming more and more frustrated because nothing seems to be working when it comes to fixing your hair and skin and sleep quality.
Your stomach hurts and you wonder if it’s because you’re just stressed, or if there is something that is actually wrong with you. You start to become anxious that your body’s functions are just not working properly.
It could be you’re looking at things the wrong way. It might be your thyroid.
The cycle of constantly feeling fatigued and attempting to self-medicate with stimulants such as caffeine may increase feelings of anxiety and irritability. The unusual fatigue associated with hypothyroidism can’t be eliminated by caffeine. The good news is, there are stress management techniques that may help manage anxiety and irritability.
What Are Early Warning Signs of Thyroid Problems in Males?
Studies have shown that women are at greater risk for developing thyroid disease. However, hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism do affect many men.
For the most part, the early signs of thyroid problems in men are similar to women. However, there are a few symptoms that are unique to men, including erectile dysfunction and hypogonadism (low testosterone).
Low testosterone and erectile dysfunction also contribute to low libido in men. These symptoms may also have an effect on a man’s mental health and well-being that may increase feelings of depression, anxiety, and irritability which are also common symptoms of thyroid disease.
Discover Holistic Treatments for Warning Signs and Symptoms of Thyroid Problems With HealthierU
Hypothyroidism can look and feel different for each person. Some people may suffer from multiple symptoms, while others may only be feeling one or two of the symptoms.
The early signs and symptoms of thyroid problems are unique to each individual. As such, the treatment of these symptoms will be unique as well.
If you feel like any combination of these symptoms is affecting your daily life, contact us to schedule a free consultation. Dr. Donna Sergi has decades of experience backing her commitment to helping her patients get well and stay well.
HealthierU is committed to helping you find natural, holistic options to help you start your journey to transforming yourself from the inside out and helping you look and feel your best.
