Signs That You Should Get Your Thyroid Checked

The thyroid hormone plays an integral role in the human body. From maintaining temperature to metabolism, the thyroid hormone controls every critical action. When the thyroid gland is underactive and secretes less amount of hormone and causes weight gain; this condition is known as hyperthyroidism. On the other hand, sometimes your thyroid gland secretes excess hormones and causes weight loss, known as hypothyroidism. Thyroid symptoms are quite regular, like tiredness, fatigue, and mood swings; that is why people cannot rush to doctors at the beginning.

Here are some of the significant symptoms that tell you to get your thyroid checked:

Changes in body weight:

The first and foremost sign of checking your thyroid level is unnecessary weight gain or weight loss. The thyroid hormone secretion takes a toll on your body weight. The thyroid gland is responsible for your body's metabolism; it helps your body to convert food to energy. In thyroid disorder, you can notice significant changes in your regular food habits, lifestyle, and appetite. However, these changes might be unexplainable until you check your thyroid level. In Hyperthyroid, the gland secretes extra hormones, which results in weight loss; in hypothyroid, the gland secretes a lesser hormone that leads to weight gain.

Change in your appearance:

In addition to your body weight fluctuation, you can also observe some changes in your overall appearance. For example, you get tired easily and develop a weak immune system. Fatigue, irritation and disturbed sleep cycle are some of the major symptoms of thyroid disorders. You can also notice thinning hairline, red and itchy rashes on the skin, brittle nails, puffy face, swelling joints or swelling of the neck of the base. In the beginning stage, people tend to neglect these small issues, but if you are experiencing any discomfort or any of the above symptoms for a long time, you need to rush to the doctor.

Feeling miserable:

Especially in lockdown, so many people got diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and an unhealthy lifestyle, which lead them to severe diseases like thyroid or diabetes. Along with your physical appearance, Thyroidism also influences your mood swings and mental well-being. Thyroid issues make you rant over your miseries all the time. Unfortunately, both hypo and hyperthyroidism affect your mental peace. Hyperthyroidism can cause anxiety, sleepless nights, excessive sweating, or restlessness; hypothyroidism can cause depression.

Irregular periods:

Sometimes the thyroid symptoms in females start reflecting through their menstrual cycle. Generally, people consider this a symbol of PCOS, but it can only be a part of hyper or hypothyroidism symptoms. Under and over activation of thyroid hormones can make your period flow heavy, light, or irregular. Thyroidism can also cause a condition called amenorrhea, where your periods suddenly stop for several months or even for a longer time. If you have a genetic thyroid hormone or a weak immunity system, it can also affect your ovaries. Hypothyroidism can affect fertility in several ways by preventing the natural ovulation process and increasing the risk of miscarriage.

Feeling discomfort:

The thyroid hormone is also responsible for controlling our body temperature. Due to irregular secretion of thyroid hormone, you always feel cold or hot; in short, your body finds it difficult to adjust to the weather. Hyperthyroidism makes your body sensitive to heat and causes excessive sweating, whereas a person with hypothyroidism struggles to keep his/her body warm. If the thyroid gland secrets an adequate amount of hormone, the cells will produce 65% energy and 35% heat. An inadequate amount of thyroxine can confuse the body either by producing too much heat or vice versa. Sometimes people who have hyperthyroidism and obesity can sweat during midnight. This is because an underactive thyroid can hinder the body's metabolism.

You always feel tired:

This symptom appears only in people who have hyperthyroidism. People with underactive thyroid gland find it difficult to sleep at night, leading to fatigue and tiredness. Thyroid disorder sometimes causes muscle weakness, cramps, and body aches.

Tips to prevent hypo and hyperthyroidism:

Medical science has now found several ways to treat hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. But according to experts, "Prevention is better than cure". So here are a few tips to prevent thyroid disorder:

Quit smoking, drinking, and junk food. Smoking increases the chance of thyroid disorder and can also cause cardiovascular disease.
Eat less soybean or cruciferous vegetables in moderation.
If you are going through an X-ray, ask for a thyroid collar; it will protect your thyroid gland from radioactive exposure.
Consider healthy supplements. You can go for selenium supplements or incorporate herbal teas in your daily diet, like andMe's Thyrodiet tea. It is enriched with the goodness of multivitamins like zinc, selenium, and Ayurvedic herbs like Guggul, Kanchar, and Ashwagandha that help restore your T3 and T4 levels and reduce fatigue. Also, sometimes people with hyperthyroidism struggle with inflammation; the presence of lemon peel helps reduce it.
Regular checkups are mandatory.