How well your thyroid is functioning
is inter-related with every system
in your body. If your thyroid is not
running optimally, then neither are
you.
Sleep changes : An overactive
thyroid pumps out certain hormones
(triiodothyronine, known as T3,
and thyroxine, known as T4) in
excess, which can overstimulate the
central nervous system and lead
to insomnia, says Hossein Gharib,
MD, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist.
On the flip side, if you still feel still
tired after a full night’s sleep, or the
need to sleep more than usual, you
might have an underactive thyroid,
in which your body doesn’t produce
enough hormones.
Unreasoned anxiety: Too many
thyroid hormones often cause
patients to feel jittery or anxious
unrelated to anything specific, says
Ashita Gupta, MD, an endocrinologist
at Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital in
New York City. “There’s more brain
stimulation so it excites you to the
point where you don’t feel good
about it,” says Dr. Gupta.
Changes in bowel habit: Frequent
constipation could be a sign of
an underactive thyroid. “Thyroid
hormones also play a role in keeping
your digestive track running,” says
Dr. Gupta. “If you produce too little,
things get backed up.” An overactive
thyroid can create the opposite
effect. “You’ll experience a regular
bowel movement—not diarrhea—
but the need to go more frequently,
because everything is sped up,” says
Dr. Gupta.
Thinning hair: Thinning hair,
particularly on your eyebrows, is a
common sign of thyroid disease. An
underactive or overactive thyroid
throws off your hair growth cycle,
says Dr. Gupta. Usually, most of your
hair grows while a small portion
rests. Overactive and underactive
thyroid problems are both easily
treated. If your thyroid is overactive:
Doctors typically prescribe anti-
thyroid medication that slows down
the production and release of T4 and
T3 hormones. Once hormone levels
are balanced, patients can eventually
stop taking the medicine, says Dr.Gharib. However, if hyperthyroidism
is ignored and left untreated,
sometimes surgery to remove some
or all of the gland is required,
according to the Mayo Clinic. If
your thyroid is underactive: This
typically requires lifelong treatment
with a synthetic thyroid hormone
called levothyroxine. The oral
medication restores hormone levels
and helps reverse symptoms such as
weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, and
constipation.Causes of thyroid
disorders
Thyroid diseases sometimes result
from inappropriate TSH levels, or
may be caused by problems in the
thyroid gland itself.
The most common cause of
hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s
thyroiditis,an autoimmune
condition where the body makes
antibodies that destroy parts of the
thyroid gland. Surgical removal
and certain medications (e.g.,
amiodarone, lithium) can also cause
hypothyroidism.Bhujangasana