Common Symptoms Of Hypothyroidism

In humans, hypothyroidism is a disease characterized by a lack of production of the thyroid hormone in the thyroid gland. The thyroid hormone is an important hormone that is mostly responsible for the regulation of a person’s metabolism. Obviously, a shortage of any important hormone can cause major problems. The following article will explore some common symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Early symptoms of thyroid disease are many and varied. Most deal with muscle and joint pain and a general deterioration of the body. Thyroid disease symptoms include fatigue, poor muscle tone, cramps, joint pain, brittle hair or nails, sensitivity to heat or cold, Goiter, a pale complexion, Osteoporosis, constipation, weight gain, water retention, itchy skin, and braycardia. The weight gain and constipation result from an interference with the metabolism and are important symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Later symptoms of hypothyroidism include dry puffy facial skin, slow speech rate, especially in combination with a deep raspy voice, abnormal menstrual cycles, a low body temperature, and a thinning of the outer eyebrows (caused by hair loss). These late thyroid disease symptoms are very specific, and if any of these symptoms of hypothyroidism occur in combination with a large portion of the early symptoms mentioned above, the person suffering from these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately.

Some symptoms that are less commonly associated with thyroid disease, but that still may be indicative of the disease are impaired memory or brain function, a slow heart rate, difficulty breathing or swallowing, acute psychosis, decreased sexual desire, reactive hypoglycemia, hair loss, pain while swallowing, decreased taste and smell, anemia, and poor reflexes. Some of these symptoms, in combination with the symptoms listed in the second paragraph could be indicative of thyroid problem, and should most definitely be checked out.

A combination of these symptoms of hypothyroidism will normally cause doctors to perform a thyroid disease test. To do so, doctors measure the amount of the thyroid-stimulating hormone that is being produced by the pituitary gland. However, this test alone is not sufficient for testing for all forms of hypothyroidism, so supplementary tests are often needed if the first test is inconclusive.

Because the symptoms of hypothyroidism are so varied, it can sometimes be difficult to make a stable self-diagnosis. Anyone with a significant amount of the above symptoms should see a doctor as soon as possible. Hypothyroidism is treatable, but like any disorder, is best treated as soon as possible.