Signs and Symptoms of a Thyroid Problem

The thyroid is one of the many gland of the body that performs some of the most important functions of the human system. Nestled at the tip of the neck, the thyroid gland produces essential hormones, which help in smooth brain activity and metabolism. Thyroid symptoms are often an indication of the presence of a problem in the gland. While most of them are quite vague and similar to symptoms of many other conditions and diseases, it’s best not to ignore them as a sign of a thyroid problem. Pay a visit to an endocrinologist and let them test you for a plausible thyroid condition.

Signs and Symptoms of a Thyroid Problem

Below are some common thyroid symptoms you must not ignore:-

• Witnessing fatigue even after sleeping for about 8 to 10 hours at a stretch or a need to take a nap every day.
• Unintentionally gaining weight or finding it difficult to lose weight.
• Experiencing extreme mood swings, anxiety or a condition of depression.
• Facing hormonal imbalances such as irregular periods, PMS, infertility and even lower sex drive.
• Pain in the muscles, the joints, carpal tunnel syndrome, or tendonitis.
• Having cold feet and hands, and feeling unusually cold, even when others are not.
• A body temperature that’s consistently below 98.5 F.
• Drying or cracking of the skin, having brittle nails and experiencing excessive hair loss.
• Constant constipation.
• Brain fogging, or unable to concentrate properly.
• Swelling in the neck, snoring more than often or developing a hoarse voice.

Type of Thyroid Problems

Typically, there are two types of thyroid problems – hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.

Hyperthyroidism is a condition wherein the gland produces excessive amount of hormones which cause the onset of many internal problems. A hyper active thyroid often leads to excessive TSH secretion in the blood stream, Grave’s disease, and the formation of nodules in the gland. Hypothyroidism, on the other hand, is a condition wherein the thyroid causes less production of essential hormones, which further hampers the proper functionality of many related organs. Both the conditions are dangerous for the human system and hence, maintenance of the health of the thyroid gland is important.

Tests Related to Thyroid Problem

There are a couple of tests that are associated with the diagnosis of proper functionality, and production and release of the essential hormones in the bloodstream. These are as follows:-

• TSH Test
• Free T3 and T4 Test
• Reverse T3 Test
• Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies Test (TPOAb)
• Thyroglobulin Antibodies Test (TgAb)

Basis the result of these tests, a legitimate thyroid problem treatment is formulated by the endocrinologist. The sooner you get treated for a thyroid related treatment, the better is the outcome.

By Tarun Yadav