World Thyroid Day: 9 Signs Of An Underactive Thyroid

World Thyroid Day: A less common medical condition like an overactive thyroid, an underactive thyroid can actually be just as dangerous for you. Known as hypothyroidism in the medical world, this is a condition where the butterfly shaped thyroid gland in your neck produces less than enough thyroid hormone. This hormone affects our metabolism, body temperature and heartbeat. The condition is very common in India, especially among women with more than 10 million cases being reported per year. Untreated hypothyroidism can lead to depression, problems in swallowing food and even infertility.

Here are 9 signs of an underactive thyroid that can warrant a visit to the doctor.

1. Rapid weight gain

Insufficient thyroid hormone slows down your metabolism through all the tissues and cells of your body. This means that the burning of calories slows down and you may see an unexpected weight gain without even an increase of sugar or junk food in your diet.

2. Unexplained exhaustion

Energy fluctuations are an important symptom of hypothyroidism. You may feel fatigued even after a good night's sleep. This is because your body is not producing enough energy from food due to a slower metabolism.

3. Trouble recalling

Patients also experience a brain fog in cases of underactive thyroid. This means you will experience a subtle memory loss and your mental alertness in general will decline.

4. Dry and itchy skin

The health of skin cells and sebaceous gland, which are responsible for lubrications and waterproofing of our skin, declines with an underactive thyroid. Nails can also become brittle.

5. Constipation

Another particularly important symptom, people with hypothyroidism experience frequent constipation. Since the thyroid hormones also ensure effective working of our digestive system, lack of it slows down digestion.

6. Long and heavy periods

If your periods have become irregular, the thyroid gland might be to blame. If they occur too close together and you feel excessively painful cramps throughout, your thyroid can be underactive.

7. Feel too cold

A complete slowdown in the body means that lesser calories are being burned and so lesser heat is produced in the body. Frequent chills are a sign of hypothyroidism.

8. Thinning hair

Malfunctioning thyroid can lead to hair loss. This is because our hair growth cycle gets disturbed with insufficient thyroid hormone. Some parts of it may grow while others don't.

9. Daytime sleepiness

Sleeping more than usual and daytime tiredness can be signs of underactive thyroid. This happens since the body feels sluggish due to insufficient energy production.

If you are experiencing more than 5 of these symptoms, a trip to the doctor is worth it.

Happy World Thyroid Day!

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