thyroid health
1 in 8 women will suffer from a thyroid condition in their lifetime. Unfortunately, symptoms of a thyroid condition can be very similar to the signs of other medical conditions and stages of life. This can make identifying a thyroid condition difficult.
Symptoms of Thyroid Issues
Symptoms are normally divided into two categories: Hypothyroidism, meaning your body is not producing enough thyroid hormone, and Hyperthyroidism, meaning your body is producing too much thyroid hormone.
Symptoms of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can include:
- Feeling tired (fatigue).
- Gaining weight.
- Experiencing forgetfulness.
- Having frequent and heavy menstrual periods.
- Having dry and coarse hair.
- Having a hoarse voice.
- Experiencing an intolerance to cold temperatures.
The most common cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disorder known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Autoimmune disorders occur when your immune system produces antibodies that attack your own tissues.
Symptoms of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can include.
- Experiencing anxiety, irritability and nervousness.
- Having trouble sleeping.
- Losing weight.
- Having an enlarged thyroid gland or a goiter.
- Having muscle weakness and tremors.
- Experiencing irregular menstrual periods or having your menstrual cycle stop.
- Feeling sensitive to heat.
- Having vision problems or eye irritation.
Graves’ disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in the United States. The disease affects about 1 in 200 people. Graves’ disease usually affects people between ages 30 and 50, but can occur at any age. The disease is seven to eight times more common in women than men.
Conditions linked with Graves’ disease include:
- Rheumatoid Arthritis a disorder that affects the joints and sometimes other body systems
- Pernicious Anemia, a condition caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency
- Lupus a chronic, or long-term, disorder that can affect many parts of your body
- Addison’s disease, a hormonal disorder
- Celiac Disease, a digestive disorder
- Vitiligo, a disorder in which some parts of the skin are not pigmented
- Type 1 Diabetes
