Most people relate to weight gain or loss and low energy levels to thyroid problems but there are many other symptoms we may experience, writes naturopath Toni Baker.
Our thyroid gland is a very temperamental gland and can change as we change, through our body weight, as the seasons change and with the amount of stress we are under.
Here are five of the key symptoms you may experience if you have problems with your thyroid function:
- Brain fog – Whilst the brain needs only small amounts of thyroid hormones, T4 and T3 are definitely needed for memory and concentration. When these are in short supply, you may experience problems keeping your concentration on track.
- Irregular Periods – The thyroid hormones can also affect the menstrual cycle. In hypothyroidism they can become longer and heavier and with hyperthyroidism can become light and can sometimes stop altogether. There is often a risk of infertility in younger women, and stronger menopausal symptoms in your 40s and 50s.
- Constipation – There are many things that can cause constipation but a slow thyroid can cause some gut issues whilst an overactive thyroid can also cause diarrhoea.
- Eyebrow hair – A thinning of the outer edge of your eyebrow hair can be an indication that your thyroid is underactive. This can be a hallmark of a deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals such as iodine, selenium and zinc and B vitamins.
- Fluid Retention – One of the most common causes of fluid retention is low body temperature. With an underactive thyroid this often presents as puffy hands and puffy eyes. It may be because when the body temperature drops the muscle cells of the wall relax, making the blood vessels leak causing fluid retention.
Everybody is different and there are hundreds of thyroid symptoms that someone may experience but if you feel that your thyroid is not working optimally, come and see us in the clinic for full functional testing.