Tell Tale Thyroid warnings

Your thyroid gland is a small gland in your neck but has a lot of impact on your body. It produces a hormone (Thyroxine (TH)) which keeps many bodily functions in check such as your metabolism, heartbeat, temperature, mood and more. An underactive thyroid doesn't produce enough of the hormone which can be responsible for a lot of health problems. This condition is known as hypothyroidism.

Similarly, hyperthyroidism is when your thyroid gland becomes over reactive producing excessive hormone which isn’t good for your health either. India is home to 42 million people with thyroid disease. (Source: NCBI)

When NCBI conducted a study on 5367 adults, 10.95% were diagnosed with thyroid disease out of which 7.66% self-reported the condition but 3.47% had no idea about their thyroid disorders. Many times, your thyroid may be giving you signs that it requires immediate attention which you may have missed. So, here are some warnings that you should look out for.

• Unpredictable bowel movements:

  Constipation is one of the most common hypothyroidism symptoms. The lower production of TH can slow down your digestion system.

   

• Painful muscles:

  If you feel unexplained and sudden pain, tingling or numbness in your arms, legs, feet or hands, it may be a sign of hypothyroidism. The decreased TH production may damage your nerves responsible for sending signals to your brain and spinal cord.

   

• Feeling chills or hot:

  Feeling cold indicates an underactive TH. A slow system produces less energy meaning less heat. Whereas with hyperthyroidism, you’ll feel hot because of the excess TH production and energy levels. You may even sweat profusely.

   

• Gained weight:

  You may feel like you don’t eat much and even exercise a lot but your weight still doesn’t seem to shed. This may be a sign of an underactive thyroid gland.

   

• Exhausted:

  Feeling tired like you have no energy left is strongly associated with hypothyroidism. Less thyroid hormone flowing through your bloodstream and cells indicate your muscles aren't getting that go-ahead signal.

   

• Sleeping more:

  When you sleep more than you usually do without a good explanation, it may be a sign of hypothyroidism. TH regulates energy balance decisions which may influence whether or not you need a nap.

   

• Feeling upset:

  You may feel upset more often. It’s because of your lowering TH production signalling hypothyroidism. It affects the levels of your "feel good" hormone serotonin in the brain.