The thyroid is an incredibly important gland. Located at the front of the neck, it plays a key role in regulating metabolism. Unfortunately, thyroid dysfunction is also quite common, which may lead to host of problems that disrupt your health and quality of life. Knowing the signs of thyroid disease can help you get the treatment you need, sooner.
Thyroid diseases are split into two groups: Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. “Hypothyroidism occurs when thyroid hormone levels are too low, due to a disease process that causes damage to the thyroid, or from removal of the thyroid during surgery, [or from] neck radiation or certain medications,” explains Vivian Sobel, M.D., an endocrinologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine. “Hyperthyroidism occurs when there is too much thyroid hormone circulating in the bloodstream.”
Meet the experts: Vivian Sobel, M.D., an endocrinologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine; Jamie Mullally, M.D., an associate professor of endocrinology and metabolism at New York Medical College.
While hypothyroidism is more common than hyperthyroidism, both disproportionately affect women, especially those of a certain age. “Hypothyroidism is five to eight times more common in women than men. It becomes even more common as women age, particularly after menopause,” says Jamie Mullally, M.D., an associate professor of endocrinology and metabolism at New York Medical College. “Hyperthyroidism is less common overall but is also five times more common in women than men, and the prevalence is higher in older women.” A small study published in Cureus looked at 150 women over 40 and found that nearly half of them (47%) had some degree of thyroid dysfunction.
So, how can you tell if your thyroid is starting to go haywire? Here, find the signs experts say will help you identify thyroid disease.
Signs of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
“Hypothyroidism means there is under-production of thyroid hormone by the thyroid,” explains Dr. Sobel. “By far the most common cause of hypothyroidism is chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, also called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which is a type of autoimmune disease. This occurs when lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, involve the thyroid in an inflammatory process. This leads to scarring and damage of normal thyroid-hormone producing cells, and results in varying degrees of hypothyroidism, or under-production of thyroid hormones.”
When the thyroid doesn’t make enough thyroid hormone, everything slows down, explains Dr. Mullally. Since the thyroid is a key regulator of the speed at which your body uses energy (a.k.a. your metabolism), virtually any process that requires energy to maintain starts to slow.
According to Dr. Sobel and Dr. Mullally, this leads to symptoms such as:
- Unexplained fatigue
- Feeling cold all the time
- Constipation
- Dry skin
- Unexplained weight gain
- Hair thinning
- Facial puffiness
- Fluid retention
- Slow heart rate
“It is important to remember that these symptoms are non-specific, meaning that they are common symptoms caused by a variety of disease states and other conditions. In other words, they do not only occur in hypothyroidism,” says Dr. Sobel. But if you are experiencing a handful of them at once or are generally concerned, it’s worth giving your doctor a call.
Signs of hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
Hyperthyroidism is the opposite of hypothyroidism, says Dr. Mullally. As such, many of the processes governed by thyroid hormone will start to speed up. Per the Mayo Clinic, the most common cause of hyperthyroidism is Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, causing it to overproduce thyroid hormone.
According to our experts, this leads to symptoms including:
- Heart palpitations
- Tremors
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Increased appetite
- Unexplained weight loss
- Frequent bowel movements
- Feeling hot all the time
“Sometimes people with hyperthyroidism have an enlarged thyroid gland in their neck, otherwise known as a goiter, or eyes that protrude past the bony eye sockets where the eyes sit, which is called thyroid eye disease,” adds Dr. Sobel. Though, it is possible to develop a goiter with either form of thyorid disease.
When to see a doctor
Many of these symptoms may be caused by a variety of health conditions. But if you experience more than one of them and/or they aren’t going away, check in with your doctor. “Thyroid hormone levels are easily measured with a blood test, so the persistence of any of these symptoms, if new and/or severe, should prompt a referral for a thyroid evaluation,” says Dr. Sobel. From there, if a diagnosis is confirmed, you can get the treatment you need.
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