The Signs of Thyroid Disorder

Many physicians are not fully trained to understand some of the signs and symptoms of thyroid disorder. Luckily when I went to my doctor that was the first thing that was tested but that is not the case with everyone. It's good to know some of the signs of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism so that you can get diagnosed and treated right away. These are the signs that I pulled directly from the book that I reading right now The Thyroid Solution.

Signs of Hypothyroidism:

-general tiredness

-weight gain

-aches and pains in joints and muscles

-muscles cramps

-constipation

- thickened skin

-dry and pale skin

-brittle hair

-hair loss, including loss of eyebrow hair

-feeling cold even in warm temperatures

-milky discharge from the breast

Signs of Hyperthyroidism:

-weight loss (or less commonly, weight gain)

- fatigue

-shakiness

-feeling hot and becoming intolerant of warm and hot temperatures

-increased thirst

-hair loss

-eye irritation

-increased sweating

-rapid heartbeat, palpitations

-muscle weakness, decreased muscle mass

-irregular periods, decreased fertility

Someone with a thyroid imbalance can show these signs but are not limited to the signs that fall under hyper or hypothyroidism. I'm hypothyroid but have shakiness, feeling hot all the time, increased thirst, palpitations and muscle weakness while still showing most of the signs from hypothyroidism. Also remember that some of these symptoms can be related to other diseases as well but it's an easy blood test and one that gets overlooked sometimes. 

Even when your treated and your levels are back to normal you can still show symptoms. I still have anxiety, hot flashes and heart palpitations. Even if your TSH levels are normal, it does not mean that you are in the clear. If you have been tested and are still showing normal results, ask your doctor to test your Free T3 and Free T4. The test  might come back normal but it can also come back out of whack. It's just blood work and doesn't hurt to test, and at least  you could rule it out if the results came back normal. Do a lot of research on this if you think that you may have a thyroid disorder. I've been hypothyroid for 8 years and there are still things that I am learning. Don't leave your health in the hands of one person because you are far too important. And on that note, have a happy Friday! :)