June• 2018 | 19hormones often cause patients to
feel anxious unrelated to anything
speciic, says Dr Ashita Gupta,
an endocrinologist.3
CHANGES IN BOWEL HABITS
Frequent constipation could be
an underactive thyroid symptom.
“hyroid hormones also play a
role in keeping your digestive
track running,” says Gupta. “If you
produce too little, things get backed
up.” An overactive thyroid can create
the opposite efect.4
THINNING HAIR
Another thyroid symptom
is thinning hair, particularly on
your eyebrows. An underactive or
overactive thyroid throws of your
hair growth cycle, says Gupta.
Usually, most of your hair grows
while a small portion rests. When
thyroid hormones are imbalanced,
too much hair rests at one time,
which means hair looks thinner.5
SWEATING AT RANDOM TIMES
Excessive sweating when you’re
not exerting yourself is a common
sign of an overactive thyroid.
he thyroid regulates the body’s
energ y production. Higher-than-
normal hormone levels mean your
metabolism is rev ved up, which
causes people to feel overly warm.6
UNUSUAL WEIGHT GAIN
If your jeans feel snug but you
haven’t changed your eating or
exercise habits, an underactive
thyroid might be to blame. “Lack of
hormones decreases metabolism
and kilojoule burning, so you may
see gradual but unexplained weight
gain,” says Gharib.7
FEELING RAVENOUS BUT
NOT GAINING WEIGHT
On the other hand, if you’re suddenly
able to squeeze into smaller-size
clothes that haven’t itted into in years- without a major change to your diet
or workout regimen – you may have
an overactive thyroid, which causes
an increase in metabolism.
8
BRAIN FOG
With an underactive thyroid,
some people report feeling a ‘brain
fog’, says Gupta. Others report subtle
memory loss or overall mental
fatigue. An overactive thyroid can
ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCK make it diicult to concentrate.