“I can tell if I feel like I'm moody all month long, it's probably my thyroid,” Watson says. According to the British Thyroid Foundation, an underactive thyroid can cause emotional symptoms, such as mood swings.
Persistent nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain can be caused by hypothyroidism.
Thyroid disorders can have a noticeable impact on your energy level and mood. Hypothyroidism tends to make people feel tired, sluggish, and depressed. Hyperthyroidism can cause anxiety, problems sleeping, restlessness, and irritability.
With thyroid fatigue, you may feel like you can't get through a day without a nap. You may sleep more than usual but still feel completely exhausted. You may not even have the energy to exercise. At times, you may fall asleep during the day or very quickly at night.
General joint and muscle pains are common when hypothyroidism is not sufficiently treated, and your dosage of thyroid hormone needs to be increased. Joint and muscle weakness and pain, especially in the arms and legs, can be evidence that you need an increased dose of antithyroid drugs for your hyperthyroidism.
But those with symptoms can experience a puffy face, sluggishness, weight gain, feeling cold, a slowed heart rate, constipation, depression, and thinning hair. Not everyone has the same symptoms, so make sure to talk with your health care provider if you think you have hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is a common condition where the thyroid doesn't create and release enough thyroid hormone into your bloodstream. This makes your metabolism slow down. Also called underactive thyroid, hypothyroidism can make you feel tired, gain weight and be unable to tolerate cold temperatures.
While uncontrolled hypothyroidism can be debilitating, controlled hypothyroidism is a treatable condition that typically does not affect someone's ability to work or live. It generally takes far less than 12 months to get Hashimoto's thyroiditis under control.
In this case, the condition can gradually become more severe and potentially cause a range of complications. Because your thyroid affects so many areas of your body, untreated hypothyroidism can cause widespread harm.
Anxiety Symptoms to Watch For
If you've been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, anxiety symptoms to monitor yourself for include: Insomnia. Feeling “on edge” a lot. Muscle tension.
The most obvious symptom of subacute thyroiditis is pain in the neck caused by a swollen and inflamed thyroid gland. Sometimes, the pain can spread (radiate) to the jaw or ears. The thyroid gland may be painful and swollen for weeks or, in rare cases, months.
Symptoms of thyroid storm include: Feeling extremely irritable or grumpy. High systolic blood pressure, low diastolic blood pressure, and fast heartbeat. Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
The afternoon crash means your blood sugar has dropped too low for your brain and body to function normally, causing you to become drowsy, mentally foggy, tired, and unmotivated. Unstable blood sugar is notorious for making it difficult to manage an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto's hypothyroidism.
Does Hypothyroidism Affect Life Expectancy? With proper treatment, a person with hypothyroidism usually has a normal life expectancy, with little or no decrease in quality of life. 1 Hypothyroidism generally carries a greater life expectancy than hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid).
While medical investigation is under way and when treatment is starting, they will require time off for medical appointments. But in the medium term, once treatment is under way, impact on work should be minimal in most cases. Some treatments, such as radioiodine and surgery, might require additional time off work.
Eating foods that have large amounts of iodine—such as kelp, dulse, or other kinds of seaweed—may cause or worsen hypothyroidism. Taking iodine supplements can have the same effect. If you are pregnant, you need more iodine because the baby gets iodine from your diet.
Many symptoms of psychological dysfunction have been described with hypothyroidism. Those symptoms most commonly related to thyroid deficiency include forgetfulness, fatigue, mental slowness, inattention, and emotional lability. The predominant affective disorder experienced is depression.
Impact of Iodine
Worldwide, environmental iodine deficiency is the most common cause of thyroid disorders, including hypothyroidism [6].
Sensitive Skin and Skin Discoloration
Thyroid hormones also influence the quality of your skin in various ways. For example, with hyperthyroidism, you may notice itchy and dry patches of skin. Your face may feel softer and swollen. You may even notice swelling around your fingertips.
Mood changes, like depression or anxiety, can sometimes be the first sign of a thyroid problem. Brain fog or trouble remembering things may signal hypothyroidism. In women, periods that are light, heavy, or irregular can all be symptoms of a thyroid disorder. A puffy face or blurry vision can also be indicators.
Yes, dizziness is a symptom of a thyroid problem. Thyroid diseases³ or thyroid abnormalities sometimes manifest as dizziness. A high heart rate, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness are all possible symptoms of hyperthyroidism.
You should start to feel better a few days after you begin taking medicine. But it may take a few months for your thyroid hormone levels to get back to normal. If your levels get better, but you still have symptoms like fatigue and weight gain, your doctor may need to change your treatment.