Early warning signs of thyroid disorder

What is a thyroid?

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck. It’s responsible for producing and regulating certain hormones in the body. The two primary hormones produced by the thyroid are:

• Triiodothyronine
• Thyroxine

These hormones also affect the heart rate, blood pressure, and the body’s oxygen use. If the gland produces fluctuating thyroid hormones – too many or too few – it can lead to various disorders.

What are the main types of thyroid diseases?

Hypothyroidism

This is when the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones, causing the metabolism to slow down. This condition is also known as an underactive thyroid.

Symptoms include:

• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• Cold intolerance
• Constipation
• Mood disturbances like depression

Hyperthyroidism

This occurs when the gland produces too much thyroid hormone, which causes the body’s metabolism to speed up. This is also known as an overactive thyroid.

Symptoms include:

• Weight loss
• Anxiety
• Tremors
• Increased heart rate
• Sweating

Thyroiditis

This is when the thyroid gland becomes inflamed, typically in response to viral infections or autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases that can cause this thyroiditis include:

• Graves’ disease
• Hashimoto's disease
• Hashimoto's thyroiditis
• Postpartum thyroiditis
• Thyroid eye disease

Thyroid nodules

Nodules are growths or lumps on the thyroid gland that can cause either the overproduction or underproduction of thyroid hormone. Nodules can be cancerous or benign.

Thyroid cancer

This is a rare type of cancer that develops in the thyroid gland. It often doesn’t cause any initial symptoms, but it is accompanied by:

• A lump or swelling in the neck
• An enlarged thyroid gland
• Difficulty swallowing
• Changes in voice

Early warning signs

While many of the biological functions of the body are dependent on the thyroid hormone, there are many early signs and symptoms that may appear due to its imbalance and indicate there is an issue with your thyroid, such as:

Fatigue or excessive tiredness:

Fatigue caused by thyroid disorders can’t be cured by taking ample amounts of sleep or rest. If there is any problem with the thyroid gland, a person may feel tired and fatigued for most of the time.

High heart rate:

Hyperthyroidism can concur to an excessive heart rate. When the thyroid gland is produced in large quantities, blood pressure can increase which can lead to an increasing heart rate.

Anxiety:

Many people may suffer from feelings of anxiety when they have hyperthyroidism. There can be some emotional outbursts where they may feel trouble controlling it, along with angry feelings.

Weight gain:

Since thyroid hormone regulates your metabolism, it can greatly impact your body weight. This is usually due to the water and salt retaining in the body.

Weight loss:

Due to thyroid problems, there can be weight loss as well which is the early signs of it. The amount of weight lost during this condition will be dependent upon the severity of the problem.

Body shakes:

Since there can be high blood pressure during this condition, it can lead to trembling as a result of nervousness. If you have repetitive signs of shaky hands or body twitches, there is a need to go for thyroid testing.

Sensitivity to heat and cold:

When you have an overactive thyroid, you may feel sensitivity to heat as a common symptom. Moreover, people suffering from hypothyroidism can experience cold hands and feet as well.

Depending on the type of thyroid disorder you are dealing with, you may experience various ways in which it can affect you. You need to follow a diagnostic procedure and must make it a point to visit the best endocrinologist nearest to you.