Warning signs that indicate you have a serious thyroid problem

The thyroid is a little, butterfly-shaped gland that is located in our neck. Don’t be misled by its tiny size, as it is one of the most important glands in our body. It regulates our body temperature, keeps the heartbeat in sync and digests your food properly.

A small malfunction of this vital gland and make your body go haywire. The American Thyroid Association estimated that nearly 20 million Americans have a form of thyroid disease that goes undiagnosed for years. Nearly 60 per cent of those with thyroid problems are unaware of it.

Hypothyroidism happens when the gland doesn’t secrete enough of the hormone. It leads to bodily systems slowing down. Hyperthyroidism is a condition where there is excess hormone being produced and systems speed up, reported The Epoch Times.

The following are symptoms of hypothyroidism:

Feeling sad or depressed

Have you been feeling low, listless and disinterested in things? Are you crying for no apparent reason? Before jumping to the conclusion that it is depression, check your thyroid function. Maybe the body isn’t producing enough of the hormone.

Constipation

Low thyroid function also results in inability to digest food properly. Low thyroid function means body is not getting signals to work at normal pace, so bodily functions slow down. Thus, you will end up feeling constipated.

Sleeping too much

Less thyroid hormone means slower heart rate and metabolism. Your body can’t use the food and drink you consumed to use, so it makes you feel tired. No amount of sleep will make you feel well-rested.

Hair-loss and dry skin

When hair follicles don’t receive enough hormones, they become weak and prone to breakage. When they break off, they are not replaced by new hair follicles and results in hair loss altogether. Skin becomes dry as we tend to not sweat when there is less production of thyroid. Skin then becomes flaky and itchy.

Sudden weight gain

As mentioned above, food isn’t properly digested. The metabolism also becomes slow. Due to this, the food consumed is stored as fat in the body and not converted to energy. Thus, it results is sudden and alarming weight gain.

The following are symptoms of hyperthyroidism:

Muscular pain

A hyperactive thyroid gland can lead to weakness in the muscles. It makes the joints feel stiff and increases the metabolic rate of the body.

Fluttering heart

Too much of the hormone can accelerate the heart rate. This can then manifest into anxiety, anxiety attacks and jitters. Fast heart beat can be alarming if it persists over a period of time as it can be confused with arrhythmia.

High blood pressure

As the heart beats and works faster, it also increases the blood pressure. Over time, this can be a nuisance as it leads to other symptoms like heart pounding in the ears, headache, chest pain and breathing difficulty.

Increased appetite

With your metabolism constantly up, you feel hungry all the time. Your food consumption increases and it could lead to weight gain as well. Even with a good metabolism rate, the junk food can cause weight to increase.

Discomfort in the neck/throat

Due to excess production, the glad becomes inflamed and swollen. It can result in discomfort in the neck region. This could also be an indication of an auto-immune disease called Grave’s disease.