Recognizing the Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
Symptoms that may indicate Hypothyroidism
In an earlier post I touched upon what hypothyroidism is and some of the common causes such as the autoimmune disease, Hashimoto Thyroiditis or thyroid cancer. This time we’re going to take a hard look at the symptoms of hypothyroidism and when you should seek medical advice.
An underactive thyroid can lead to a number of thyroid disease symptoms that you can suffer from. The issue is that hypothyroid symptoms sometimes go unnoticed or are taken for granted. To most they may seem innocuous at first. However as time goes by, your thyroid reduces its production of hormones and your metabolism slows down, causing these symptoms to become more and more severe should you ignore your thyroid condition and choose not to get proper thyroid treatment such as a thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
Symptoms of Hypothyroidism Checklist
It can take years for the symptoms of hypothyroidism to manifest themselves fully but once they have started they require a thyroid treatment such as a daily dose of a synthetic thyroid medication.
The following is a list of some of the more common, noticeable symptoms of hypothyroidism…
• Fatigue
• Low blood pressure
• Unexplained weight gain or difficulty in losing weight
• Constipation
• Sluggishness
• Depression
• Decreased libido
• Memory loss, loss of mental cognition or difficulty concentrating
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Pale, dry skin
• elevated cholesterol levels
• Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
• Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
• Muscle weakness
• Heavier than normal menstrual periods
• Brittle fingernails and hair or hair loss
Listen to What Your Body is Telling You
Now, depending on how abnormal your thyroid levels are you may experience any or all of these hypothyroidism symptoms. It’s important to be in tune with your body and what it’s trying to tell you. If you are suffering from any of these symptoms then you may be suffering from a low thyroid.
Neither thyroid disease nor the symptoms of hypothyroidism are something to be taken lightly as they can seriously affect your health. Goiters (an enlargement of the thyroid gland) can occur when the thyroid is bombarded with requests to make hormones that it cannot deliver on. This happens when the pituitary gland overproduces TSH trying to get the thyroid to create more of its hormones. In rare situations if this condition is left untreated, life threatening complications can occur such as depression, coma or heart failure. This is due in large part to a condition known as Myxedema.
Myxedema affects the skin and subcutaneous tissue under the skin. The common characteristics of this symptom are puffiness around the face and eyes. It is a thickening of the skin caused by prolonged untreated hypothyroidism that can eventually result in a loss of brain function known as Myxedema Coma. As much as I hate to leave this post on a low note, it is extremely important to know and understand the symptoms of hypothyroidism and the increased risk factors that can arise from leaving it untreated.
There is Hope!
There is good news however, once diagnosed, an underactive thyroid can be successfully treated and you can lead a healthy and normal life.
Finally once your thyroid levels are under control and you’ve experienced a reduction of the symptoms of hypothyroidism you can then begin to think about a hypothyroidism diet and exercise program for weight loss.
[...] you are experiencing any of these symptoms you should make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as you can. The sooner you can determine [...]
Thanks to you, now I understand why my aunt who has been diagnosed with hypothyroidism has been feeling tired more than usual lately. Will recommend her to visit this page for more info.
Hi Rin, Glad I was able to help. I hope that your aunt gets to feeling better and by all means send her here.
One of my ex wives had thyroid problems, but I never knew there were so many symptoms for hypothyroidism. I guess it effects a lot more than I previously thought… nice post.
i was just diagnosed today. i do have the family history (sister had graves disease), and the whole reason i got further testing (my thyroid tested in normal range) is due to my sister telling me to get further testing because i was having problems getting pregnant for the past 8 years! So, it sucks having to to take meds for the rest of my life, but maybe we’ll finally get pregnant!?!
I am 54 years old and was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in my late 30′s. In that time I have had ultra-sounds that show I have a badly diseased thyroid and nodules. This has been checked a number of times, but shows no further change. My blood count always falls within the normal range. As a result I am not on any medication for this. I am on medication for high blood pressure – which has been a problem since my 30′s also. More recently I have also been having problems with acid reflux and have been put on medication for this. My question is – is my acid problem in any way related to hashimoto’s? On speaking with a nutritionist recently – after mentioning I had Hashimoto’s, was asked how my stomach acid was?
Hi Jacquelyn,
I haven’t heard, read or seen where acid reflux is a symptom of Hashimoto’s. But I can tell you personally that when I don’t keep enough water in my diet and I’m eating many rich foods I do get acid reflux.
if your thyroid tests in the normal range and you are certain you have hypothyroidism, who do you ask for further testing?
Thank you for giving much information on dieting for those who suffer from this disease. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism last year after many unsuccessful years to fall pregnant. But since I was put on medication I’ve been optimistic with my plans to get pregnant. One of the issues as you mention in this article is decreased libido. I’ve always been having problems in my sexual life in terms of deep feelings it gives, such as orgasm. Can this synthetic hormone replacement treatment help me to have better quality sexual relationship? Or with this illness I also need to undertake some other forms of psycological treatment? Thank you for your time.
Natalie,
It’s been my experience that with my hypothyroidism the only time I ever had decreased libido was when I was extremely fatigued. Anything that required energy was a problem for me. Once your thyroid is regulated everything else should improve. If it doesn’t then take note of the things that are still wrong and check on these issues with your doctor.