Signs and Symptoms of Thyroid Problems

For as long as I can remember, my mother has been struggling with her thyroid health. She suffered from all of the normal symptoms - weight gain, hair loss, dry skin, fatigue, etc. These frustrating traits started to impact both her physical and mental health the longer they continued and the worse they got but were always attributed to other health concerns.

A few years ago, however, my mother was fed up with these symptoms, so she decided to do her own research. Knowing our family history of thyroid problems, my mother looked online and found that almost all of her symptoms sounded like something called hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid gland. Armed with new info to bring to her doctor, they ran some tests and determined that she was in fact, suffering from hypothyroidism.

Nowadays, my mom is taking thyroid medications to help alleviate some of her symptoms, but I always wondered what her life would be like if she had never done the research into her thyroid health. 

The first step she took, should be the first step everyone takes - start with recognizing the signs and symptoms of thyroid conditions. 

When healthy and working properly, the typical thyroid function essentially works like this: 

1. It all starts with the pituitary gland - The pituitary gland sometimes referred to as the "master gland", is located at the bottom of our brains and produces its own hormones in addition to telling all of our other glands what hormones to produce. One of the hormones that the pituitary gland secretes is called thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which is released into the blood and tells the thyroid gland how much triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine(T4) to produce. The pituitary gland produces more or less TSH by detecting T3 and T4 levels in our blood, and by responding to signals from the hypothalamus, which sits above the pituitary gland in the brain. The hypothalamus produces thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), which then tells the pituitary gland to produce TSH, which then tells the thyroid to create thyroid hormones.

   
   

2. TSH reaches the thyroid gland - After the pituitary gland tells our thyroid gland how much triiodothyronine and thyroxine to produce, enzymes in our liver, brain, and kidney tissue start to transform the inactive thyroxine into the active triiodothyronine through a process called deiodination (enzymatic conversion). According to an educational source from the Society for Endocrinology, "The thyroid gland produces just 20% of the high active T3, but it produces 80% of the prohormone T4." Our bodies require both triiodothyronine and thyroxine to regulate our metabolism which entails how fast we process food, how fast our heartbeats, our body temperature, and much more.

   
   

3. Functioning on a feedback loop - The way in which the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus, and the thyroid gland interact with each other is sometimes referred to as the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis (HPT) and it functions on a reactive loop. The Society for Endocrinology explains that this loop works to keep thyroid hormone levels stable in our bodies "This hormone production system is regulated by a feedback loop so that when the levels of the thyroid hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine) increase, they prevent the release of both thyrotropin-releasing hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormone."     

This process occurs in a healthy, balanced body, with a properly functioning thyroid gland. When thyroid hormone levels are out of wack, or a miscommunication between the HPT axis occurs, some serious health problems could start to arise.  

• Nervousness, anxiety, and irritability

• Tremor — usually a fine trembling in your hands and fingers

• Sweating

• Changes in menstrual patterns

• Increased sensitivity to heat

• Changes in bowel patterns, especially more frequent bowel movements

• An enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), which may appear as a swelling at the base of your neck

• Fatigue, muscle weakness

• Difficulty sleeping

• Skin thinning

• Fine, brittle hair

There could be several reasons that your body could produce too much T4, including: 

• Graves' disease - Graves' disease is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system produces antibodies that stimulate the thyroid into producing too much thyroxine or T4. 

• Overactive thyroid nodules - Sometimes, our thyroid glands can have lumps on them called adenomas that can also produce thyroid hormones. In some cases of hyperthyroidism, adenomas are the cause of the overproduction of T4. 

• Thyroiditis - Thyroiditis is the inflammation of the thyroid gland, which can occur after pregnancy or due to autoimmune disorders. When the thyroid gland is inflamed, excess thyroxine could be released into the bloodstream. 

  
  

• Muscle weakness

• Elevated blood cholesterol level

• Muscle aches, tenderness, and stiffness

• Pain, stiffness, or swelling in your joints

• Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods

• Thinning hair

• Slowed heart rate

• Depression

• Impaired memory

• Enlarged thyroid gland (goiter)These symptoms usually develop over a number of years and may be attributed to other health concerns or age, making hypothyroidism slightly more difficult to catch and treat. One may develop hypothyroidism for a number of reasons including: 

Hashimoto's thyroiditis - Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease where the immune system produces antibodies that attack the thyroid gland and cause swelling and inflammation. The thyroid gland then produces less T3 and T4, leading to hypothyroidism. 

Thyroid surgery - Some individuals need to have part of or all of the thyroid gland removed, thus preventing the gland from producing the necessary thyroid hormones. These individuals often have to take supplemental hormones for the rest of their life. 

Radiation treatments - According to the Mayo Clinic, "radiation used to treat cancers of the head and neck can affect your thyroid gland and may lead to hypothyroidism." 

Certain medications - Certain medications such as lithium have been linked to low levels of hormones being produced by the thyroid gland. 

Over-response to hyperthyroidism treatment - Sometimes those with hyperthyroidism are given radioactive iodine or anti-thyroid medications to slow the overproduction of thyroid hormones. After the thyroid returns to normal, however, treatment can go too far and permanently cause hypothyroidism.

If you believe that you are experiencing signs or symptoms of a thyroid problem, talk to your doctor about getting tested and possible treatment options. They will likely order a blood test to test for thyroid hormones levels in the blood. This test is referred to as a thyroid function test, and tests for both thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine in the blood. According to the National Health Service, "A high level of TSH and a low level of T4 in the blood could mean you have an underactive thyroid. If your test results show raised TSH but normal T4, you may be at risk of developing an underactive thyroid in the future."

You should AVOID foods high in iodine, gluten, soy, and caffeine if you have an overactive thyroid, according to Healthline. 

If your thyroid is underactive (hypothyroidism) it is just as important to add foods high in zinc and selenium to your diet as those with an overactive thyroid. The main difference is iodine intake. 

Those with an underactive thyroid may also have low iodine levels, so adding these foods may benefit thyroid health and function:

• seaweed

• eggs and egg yolks

• fish

• sushi

• iodized salt

• cheese

Those with hypothyroidism should AVOID: 

• highly processed foods (hot dogs, snack cakes, etc.)

• all varieties of millet

• soy and soy-based foods

• Goitrogens (compounds that interfere with thyroid function) like cabbage, broccoli, peaches, and strawberries 

You can also check out the Top 10 Super Foods for a Healthy Thyroid that plays an essential role in your thyroid health.

• Iron - Iron, like zinc, is another mineral required by the body to convert T4 into T3. Iron deficiency has been linked to hypothyroidism and thyroid disease. 

• B vitamins - More specifically, vitamin B12, can be important for thyroid health as it "plays an important role in red cell metabolism".  Plus, low levels of vitamin B12 have been linked to thyroid disorders, with one study showing that out of 116 participants with hypothyroidism, about 40% were deficient in vitamin B12 as well. 

• Bladderwrack - Bladderwrack is a type of brown seaweed that contains high levels of iodine, which is required to produce thyroid hormones.