According to a projection from various studies, it has been estimated that about 42 million people in India are suffering from thyroid diseases – well, the number is massive for you or for any of us to overlook its symptoms.
The thyroid gland is present in the middle of the lower neck and produces hormones that influence almost every cell, tissue, and organ in the body. It regulates body metabolism and is extremely essential for growth. So, if there’s even a slight that your body is suffering from thyroid diseases – you must surely go for a check.
Here’s when!
- Your weight has dropped or risen significantly
Considering that your habits haven’t changed and you are not on-the-run to reduce/gain your weight, a change in weight is a strong indication of the thyroid. It can either be a case of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.
In hyperthyroidism, as the name suggests, the thyroid gland produces too much of the thyroid hormone which accelerates metabolism, causing a sharp drop in your body weight. On the contrary, in hypothyroidism, the gland fails to produce enough thyroxine leading to significant weight gain.
- Your physical appearance isn’t the same
It is not just a drop or rise in weight but also a change in appearance that can help you reckon whether or not your thyroid gland is functioning properly.
These are some of the additional signs you must look for: Weak body, brittle hair, red, itchy, dry or irritated skin, a puffy face or swelling at the base of your neck. These light changes in your skin and daily appearance are often dismissed. However, if you reckon this along with some more signs in the list, it’s better to get a thyroid check done.
- You are not feeling right from within
It is not always your physical appearance that governs thyroid, but also your emotional stability. If your thyroid gland is not in the appropriate order, it will ghastly affect your mood.
Symptoms like anxiety, stress, and irritation are common for people affected with hyperthyroidism. On the other hand, hypothyroidism causes depression. The thing is, your hormones play a major role in your mental well-being.
- You feel weak and tired very often
If you are experiencing hyperthyroidism, you are most likely to face difficulty while sleeping. Lack of sleep naturally leads to fatigue and weakness.
On the contrary, science says that for people suffering from hypothyroidism, thyroxine is depleted from your body, causing a lack of energy and muscle weakness, which in turn makes you feel tired all the time.
- You are never comfortable with your body temperature
The thing is when the thyroid gland is functioning properly in your body, your cells produce 65% of energy and 35% of heat.
However, if the instability sets in, the cells in the body are confused, and will either produce too much or too little heat. Resultantly, you will either be cold, or hot, but never comfortable.
Plus, since thyroid affects your body significantly, it naturally impacts your body temperature. For instance, people who have experienced weight gain, feel more heat than others. While people with reduced weight are more sensitive to cold temperatures.
- You are not pregnant but have skipped your period
This point is only valid for women. Thyroid or thyroxin can greatly affect your menstrual cycle and even fertility. Women suffering from hypothyroidism, that is when the body has too little of thyroxin, makes it difficult for the body to release eggs needed for the evolution, hampering fertility to a great extent. Stats suggest that women are 5-8 times more likely to have thyroid problems than men.
You wouldn’t really want to be at such a place because of thyroid calls along with high risks of miscarriage or preeclampsia during pregnancy. This doesn’t imply that hypothyroidism is safe. It is also expected to affect the regularity of your period schedules and can cause postpartum thyroiditis.
Now that we have reached the end of this content-piece, let me remind you that this list was inclusive, but not exhaustive. This means there can be other symptoms that can be a red flag for thyroid. Thus, whether or not you are experiencing these signs, it’s always better to get yourself tested from time to time. Also, maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay away from this lifelong imprisonment of the thyroid. The initial symptoms and even the complicated thyroid cases can be cured through simple home remedies for thyroid.
Stay healthy, stay fit.
