Low Thyroid Symptoms

Low thyroid symptoms can be quite frustrating. They range from making you tired, to making you feel like you’re going to blow your top, for little or no reason at all. Usually thyroid symptoms include gaining weight, lots of aches and pains, and even fuzzy thinking. Sound familiar? If you have been suffering from one or more of these, chances are you’re dealing with low thyroid symptoms.

This condition however, is much more complicated than just a few simple symptoms. And, in some cases, especially women, suffer from several low thyroid symptoms at the same time.

Unfortunately, suffering from hypothyroidism, which is not usually thought of as serious, can wreak havoc with your everyday life because the symptoms are so numerous and range from simple to very complicated.

There is no easy solution to determine if your health issues are really just low thyroid symptoms or are related to some other disorder. Unfortunately, the thyroid tests that are currently available are not always accurate which is making it more increasingly difficult to get an accurate diagnosis.

In fact, because of poor test ranges, tests have been known to give a false negative reading, which means there are lots of people out there suffering from low thyroid symptoms, but who are misdiagnosed because their hormone level test came back normal.

If, by chance you have had a thyroid test that indicated your thyroid was fine, but you are still dealing with any of the various low thyroid symptoms, then it’s a good idea to take into consideration the one tried and true method for determining if you have hypothyroidism.

By simply taking your basal temperature upon waking in the morning you can get an accurate indication of whether or not your thyroid is working up to par. Most people have very low body temperature upon waking which is a tell tale sign that a good hypothyroidism treatment program is the best thing that you can do for your health.

Similarities to Menopause

Keep in mind that although anyone can have hypothyroidism, it is more prevalent in women, especially those over the age of 30. This often creates more confusion because it is at this time of life that women go through menopause. Many of the menopausal symptoms experienced by women are almost always caused or worsened by underling hypothyroidism, whether it has been diagnosed or not.

Similar to those patients who were misdiagnosed because their thyroid test came back normal, women that are in the age group for menopause or pre-menopause are often told they are suffering from menopause symptoms, when in reality, they are dealing with low thyroid symptoms.

There are also many thyroid symptoms in men that need to be addressed as well.

Recent studies have indicated that because hypothyroidism is being misdiagnosed, it is estimated that there are many people suffering from hypothyroidism who are not being treated properly. The best way to deal with the condition, especially if your test results have come back normal but you continue to suffer from any symptoms, is to keep track of the symptoms. If, as you begin to treat yourself for hypothyroidism and begin eating the right hypothyroidism diet, if your symptoms begin to disappear, then it’s quite likely you really have been suffering from low thyroid symptoms.

Remember that you thyroid gland determines the rate and speed of metabolism in your body. Metabolism is the chemical and metabolic development in the body making a healthy thyroid necessary for good health, proper growth and timely development.

Thyroid Hormones are responsible for:

Agility
Appetite
Balance of fluids in the body
Blood circulation
Blood sugar levels
Body temperature
Bone development
Bowels
Cardiac strength
Central nervous system function
Cholesterol or blood fat levels
Energy
Growth
Muscle tone
Regulation of cellular carbohydrate and protein metabolism
Regulation of fats

To say the least, just about every system in the human body is somewhat dependent on the thyroid to produce the proper amount of hormones that the body needs in order to survive. When the thyroid levels are too low, the body begins to experience low thyroid symptoms.

General Low Thyroid Symptoms

Fatigue
Insomnia
Unexplained weight gain
Inability to lose weight
Feeling cold all the time
Slow reflexes
Severe PMS
Thick, dry skin
Slow weak pulse
Chronic constipation
High cholesterol
Pain in the neck
A lump or knot that is noticeable in the neck
A gravelly voice
Hoarseness
History of miscarriage
A feeling of numbness
Swelling of face
Swollen feet
Hair loss

Believe it or not, these are just the tip of the iceberg.

Consider the following list of possible red flags that may indicate low thyroid symptoms

Do you feel tired most of the time?
Is your menstrual cycle heavier than it used to be?
Have you stopped working out or doing exercise because it’s just too tiring?
Does your body seem to just naturally seek its own healthy weight when you eat healthy and exercise on a regular basis? If not, you might have a thyroid disorder.
Do you often feel like you need a nap in the afternoon? If this is true, especially on the weekends when you don’t have to work, then you need to consider the health of your thyroid.
Has your cholesterol tested high in spite of efforts (including medication) to lower it?
Do you ever feel like you have a puffy face?

If the condition is not treated, the low thyroid symptoms can, and will, over time become more severe. Other, more severe symptoms include, decreased breathing, decreased body temperature, and low blood pressure. In some cases, these low thyroid symptoms can become quite serious. This is why it is best to determine if you have a thyroid condition early on, before the more difficult-to-treat symptoms begin to appear.

Along with the physical low thyroid symptoms, hypothyroidism can also cause symptoms that have to do with mental health. In fact, many patients who are being treated for depression are really suffering from hypothyroidism.

Let’s take a look at some of these low thyroid symptoms:

Depression
Mood Swings
Bipolar diagnosis
Fuzzy thinking
Inability to concentrate
Poor memory

If you discover you have been dealing with one or more of these mental health issues, it would be a good idea to consider that they are related to low thyroid symptoms.

Good thyroid health is essential in today’s world. You just can’t afford risk your thyroid health by determining if you have any low thyroid symptoms. Once the issues to your thyroid are addressed, it is quite possible that many of the symptoms you’ve been suffering from will be alleviated.