These are the top ten thyroid symptoms we successfully treat in our office. If you have any one or more of these symptoms it could mean your thyroid is underactive AKA-hypothyroidism.
1) Weight Gain
In our office, we see weight gain as the most common symptom associated with an underactive thyroid. This is because the thyroid regulates metabolic function (metabolism) of the cells in your body, therefore, your ability to burn calories slows way down. You will notice you are slowly gaining weight without even changing your eating habits. This is a big indicator you need to check your thyroid function from the thyroid gland itself and from the cellular uptake of the thyroid hormone.
2) Fatigue
Since the thyroid controls metabolism and energy levels, feeling extra run down and exhausted is a sure sign that something is off. This is the type of fatigue that persists day in and day out, interrupting your everyday quality of life. It also makes it extra difficult for weight management as you may feel less like working out and instead want to lie down on the couch.
3) Constipation
An underactive thyroid slows everything down, especially your GI tract. Usually this can be associated with the adrenal glands. If your body is constantly in a stressed flight-or-flight state, then your adrenals will kick up stress hormones (like adrenaline and cortisol) to get you through your day. The problem with that is your body gets robbed from the rest-and-digest process (the parasympathetic nervous system) which is needed to help digest food properly. Think of your thyroid as the engine of your car and the adrenals are the gas pedal- they are connected to each other, and the gas will affect the engine. So make sure to be thorough and get a complete picture.
4) Frequently Feeling Cold
People with hypothyroidism may feel especially cold in their feet and hands or have difficulty adjusting to temperature changes. This is because when your metabolism slows down, you’re not burning energy, which causes you to feel cold. You will most-likely feel cold hands and feet first, because those are furthest away from your heart. If the hypothyroidism gets bad enough you will notice your core temperature will drop as well.
5) Mood Changes
Research has connected hypothyroidism and depression. In order to make a thyroid hormone, you need the amino acid Tyrosine. Tyrosine is also needed to make dopamine, which is the feel good neurotransmitter in your brain. So if you notice mood changes, don’t forget the missing link could be an underactive thyroid.
6) Dry Skin
Your skin cells are continually turning over. When the thyroid isn’t working optimally, this process slows down. As a result, older skin remains on the body longer, which can cause dry and itchy skin.
7) Brain Fog
Your thyroid has a significant impact on your brain function and health. Your thyroid controls the metabolism of the cells which means it controls the energy production in your cells. The most energy demanding organ in your body is the brain. If the brain cannot get energy, it will feel sluggish and foggy.
8) Hair Loss
Thinning hair, including the outer edge of eyebrows, are a sign of hypothyroid function. Since your thyroid regulates hair follicles, a low thyroid hormone level affects hair growth.
9) High Cholesterol
Many are surprised to learn that your thyroid and cholesterol are deeply connected. Low thyroid levels affect the body’s ability to remove LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and increase the absorption of cholesterol. Your body also needs cholesterol in order to make thyroid hormone. It’s the building block of all hormones, so if your body is signaling you don’t have enough thyroid hormone, then your liver will have to make more cholesterol. The body making more cholesterol is just the symptom because once we fix the underlying cause of why the thyroid isn’t functioning, your cholesterol symptoms will normalize.
10) Weak, Achy Joints and Muscles
Why might someone’s muscles get weak and joints get achy? This all goes back to the inability for the muscle cells and cartilage of the joints to be able to get the energy they need to release the toxins out of the cells. Toxin release out of cells is an active process, which means it requires energy to do so. So it wouldn’t be surprising if your thyroid gland is sluggish and your muscles and joints, in turn, are sore from toxic accumulation. On a side note… if your traditional medical doctor stated your thyroid labs are normal, or just put you on medication and you still have these symptoms, your thyroid isn’t the root cause of your symptoms.
If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms, we encourage you to find the root cause. If left untreated “properly”, it can develop into more serious complications. We suggest working with a Functional Medicine provider to get to the root cause of your symptoms.
Call us at (614) 839-1044 if you have any further questions so we may be of assistance in getting your life back on track!