When it comes to having a healthy body, most of us tend to look at our gut (being over or underweight), skin, hair, and even our hearts (measuring blood pressure). While focusing on these aspects of the body are indeed necessary, there is an extremely important part of the body that most of us easily skip over––the thyroid.
If you didn’t know, the thyroid is a small gland in the neck region that is surprisingly responsible for a number of key functions in the body. When your thyroid stops working at its best, you can experience a number of uncomfortable symptoms, including weight gain, brain fog, fatigue, and even hair loss. Because these symptoms can be attributed to just about any other health concern, the thyroid is often neglected.
To help you start paying attention to your thyroid more closely, let’s take a look at ten signs that your thyroid isn’t working properly. If you find that any of these relate to you, it may be a safe bet to visit your doctor just to make sure everything is working as it should. Let’s begin.
#1: Having chronic diarrhea
While having chronic diarrhea can be a symptom of a number of health concerns, it is also a common symptom of a thyroid that’s working inefficiently. If you find that you have chronic diarrhea in addition to some of the other signs found on this list, it could be a hint that you have a malfunctioning thyroid.
#2: A very high fever
We all get a fever every once in a while––that’s just a fact of life. However, if you have a fever that is excessively high––to the tune of over 100 degrees––this could be a sign of a thyroid problem. It’s a safe bet to just visit your doctor just in case.
#3: Heart rate changes
This is another one of those symptoms that are associated with many health concerns, from hypertension to other heart-related diseases. However, having suddenly high blood pressure, heart rate or experiencing heart palpitations could be a sign of a thyroid malfunction as well.
#4: Problems getting good sleep
If you notice that you start having trouble getting a good night’s sleep out of nowhere, it could be that your thyroid is out of whack. When a thyroid is underactive, it doesn’t feed your body with enough hormones, including those that regulate your sleep and energy as you awake. If you notice that you’re tired even after a good night’s sleep, it could be that your thyroid is underactive.
#5: Feeling inexplicably depressed
When your thyroid is working suboptimally, this can result in a bunch of mood changes, including feeling down or depressed. The reason for this is because since your thyroid produces too little hormones, it impacts your levels of serotonin, which is basically the “feel good” hormone.
#6: Feeling jittery or anxious
On the other hand, when the thyroid is working harder than it should––called hyperthyroidism––this can have you feeling wired up and anxious even. This happens because the thyroid makes too much thyroid hormone, which sends your body into a constant state of “all systems are a go”. Basically, your whole body becomes hyperactive.
#7: Thinning or hair loss
While we tend to think that eating quality protein is the main factor in how healthy our hair is, the truth is that your thyroid has a big say-so on just how luscious your hair is. With hyperthyroidism, your hair may end up being thin all over. When you have hypothyroidism, you may suffer from excessive hair loss.
#8: Lack of interest in sex
Because your thyroid plays a huge role in balancing your hormones, it has a direct impact on your levels of interest in sex. If you have little to no interest in getting active in the sack, this could be a sign of hypothyroidism. The fact that hypothyroidism results in low energy and weight gain can also play a factor in not wanting sex.
#9: Feeling foggy or fuzzy
Of course, lacking sleep could be the culprit, but your brain health can also be impacted when your thyroid is not working properly. When you have too much thyroid hormone, you may feel scatterbrained and unable to concentrate. When you have too little thyroid hormone, you may simply feel brain fatigue and have a hard time recalling information.
#10: Your neck feels funny or your voice is hoarse
Having a change in your voice or even a lump in your throat could potentially mean that your thyroid is not working as it should. If you notice that you have any swelling under your Adam’s apple or if you feel that your voice is hoarse when you speak, it may be time to visit the doctor just to be safe.
Bonus: Neck check for thyroid disorder
Tip your head back and swallow. Examine your neck around the Adam’s apple and the area above your collarbones. If you feel lumps or bulges, see a doctor.
Do you experience any of these symptoms? If yes, then rush to the doctor and let us know the diagnosis.
