The 8 thyroid symptoms in women that you should not ignore

Sometimes we experience changes in our metabolism To which many times we do not pay attention because we think they are common, until they become severe.

But it is important that we review these changes as could be thyroid symptoms, the gland that is responsible for regulating the metabolism of our body and that may be having some type of alteration.

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What is the thyroid?

The thyroid is a gland that is located at the base of the neck, in front of the windpipe, and is shaped like a butterfly. This gland influences the function of practically all organs of our body, since it is responsible for producing the hormones triiodothyronine and thyroxine, also known as the hormones T3 and T4.

The hormones T3 and T4 are important because are responsible for regulating our metabolism and therefore the way we store and use energy. These hormones also influence our reproductive zone and fertility, so their disorders It can affect our body shape, reproduction, our activity level, and our states of mind. cheer up; hence the importance of identifying if you are having any thyroid symptoms.

What thyroid problems can there be?

Women are more likely to have some type of thyroid problem compared to men, especially with increasing age, so you should pay attention to thyroid symptoms. In fact there are figures that indicate that one in eleven women suffers from some type of thyroid disorder, making it one of the most common diseases and consulted by doctors.

The most common thyroid problems are hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. We speak of hypothyroidism when the thyroid gland works little and slowly, causing insufficient thyroid hormones in your body and your metabolism slowing down. In the opposite case we speak of hyperthyroidism, that is, when our thyroid works much more than it should and we have an excess of thyroid hormones in the body.

There are other types of thyroid disorders such as goiter, which is when the thyroid gland becomes inflamed and we can see a bulge in the neck. It can occur from hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, but the thyroid does not necessarily become inflamed in all cases.

What are the thyroid symptoms?

There are some thyroid symptoms that can indicate both that you have hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. There are also more specific thyroid symptoms for each of the thyroid disorders; We will tell you about them below.

1. You have changes and variations in your weight

If you are having unexplained changes in your weight, either in the form of an increase or decrease, and you have not made any changes in your diet or the amount of exercise you practice, you can consider weight change as one of the symptoms of thyroid.

Thyroid hormones regulate your metabolism, so if you are gaining weight it can be a consequence of slower hormonal work and therefore it can be hypothyroidism. If on the contrary, if what you are losing weight, it may be an indication that your thyroid is working too much and what you have is hyperthyroidism.

2. You feel tired and fatigued

If you are feeling tired and fatigued during the day, feeling that you will not be able to finish doing your routines, or with the need to take a nap even though your sleep cycles are being correct and enough, this can also be another of the thyroid symptoms that indicate that its functioning is not being adequate and you may have hypothyroidism.

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3. You have mood swings

Thyroid disorders can radically affect your mood, as they impact your energy levels. It is normal for a woman with hypothyroidism to feel more tired, discouraged, listless, sad and even depression.

If what you have is hyperthyroidism, it is possible that you are having sleep disorders, high levels of stress, a lot of anxiety and that you are very irritable.

4. You have changes in your heartbeat

As we discussed, the thyroid hormones found in the bloodstream affect all organs of the body. Your heart palpitations can be thyroid symptoms if you are experiencing tachycardia or a racing heart, or on the contrary, if you feel that your heart is slowing down.

5. Your hair is falling out

We all lose hair daily, it is a natural process. But if you are experiencing significant hair loss It is not due to the change of season or the use of a specific product, it can be both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.

6. You have a lump in your neck

This is one of the thyroid symptoms that not all of us necessarily present, but if you see that you have an inflammation or a lump in the neck, it is a an indication that you may have a thyroid disorder.

7. Other more specific symptoms of hyperthyroidism

In addition to the thyroid symptoms above, you may suspect that you have hyperthyroidism if you are noticing an increase in your sweating, heat intolerance, muscle aches, irregular menstrual cycles, nail weakness, trembling hands, if you feel more hungry and thirsty, or if you have difficulty sleeping and concentrate.

8. Other more specific symptoms of hypothyroidism

The most specific thyroid symptoms for hypothyroidism that you may have in addition to the above are constipation, drier skin, weak and brittle nails, constipation, decreased sex drive, and infertility.

If after reading the thyroid symptoms that we have named you think you may have some type of disorder in your thyroid, consult your doctor to do the corresponding blood tests and confirm if it is the case.

In that case, will be able to determine what type of thyroid condition you have and will tell you how to treat it. Do not worry, the treatment is quite simple and is done with a drug, either to inhibit production or to replace the lack of hormones.