If you’ve always struggled with losing weight or recently gained weight without changing your diet and exercise habits, you’ve probably wondered if the cause could be your thyroid. It’s very likely, considering that 60% of people with thyroid problems go undiagnosed. If you suspect thyroid problems, it’s important to take action right away.
Though some problems are minor, others could lead to surgery and some could even affect your reproductive health. We’ll discuss how your thyroid should work, what symptoms to watch out for, and typical testing and treatment options. If any of these problems sound familiar to you, you should take them seriously.
How Your Thyroid Should Work
Knowing how your thyroid works when it’s normal is a good starting point before addressing possible problems. It’s a bit of a complicated process in the body, meaning that it is easy for things to go wrong, and when they do, it can create a chain effect. Your thyroid gland takes the iodine from the food you eat to secrete 2 important hormones: T3 and T4. Your pituitary gland, in your brain, helps control the thyroid gland by releasing thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). When the pituitary gland detects that thyroid hormone levels are too low, it releases more TSH. If it detects too much thyroid hormone, it releases less TSH.
Thyroid problems can be a result of too much or too little production of the thyroid hormone, but it can also be because of pituitary gland issues. Additionally, dysfunction in the brain’s hypothalamus can stop the whole process before it even starts.
Symptoms to Look For
Thyroid conditions are usually one of two extremes, so symptoms can also be on one side or another. For example, some of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism (when the gland produces too much of the thyroid hormone) are:
- Weight loss
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Sweating
- Difficulty sleeping
- Irregular heartbeats
- Grave’s disease (swelling at the base of the neck)
On the other hand, hypothyroidism (when the gland produces too little of the thyroid hormone) can cause the opposite effect and therefore, the opposite symptoms.
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Poor memory
- Sensitivity to cold
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Slowed heart rates
Unfortunately, since we don’t know the cause of thyroid issues, there’s no way to really prevent them. However, women are 5-8 times more likely than men to experience thyroid problems and should be on the lookout for any of the above symptoms.
Thyroid Testing
When you go to your doctor with your symptoms and thyroid concerns, they will probably suggest some testing. Most doctors will perform a simple TSH blood test to see if the pituitary gland is doing its job. Unfortunately, this doesn’t tell doctors everything they need to know. Just because the pituitary gland is working well doesn’t necessarily mean that the thyroid is producing the correct amount of hormones for your body. That’s why a physical exam and a family history should be considered, and other tests should be performed.
Another commonly performed test is a blood test for free T4 or an evaluation of T3 levels in the blood. Each of these tests on their own has a probability of being inaccurate, but when combined, chances are greater of diagnosing the actual problem. Other methods that can help determine what is going on with your thyroid are:
- Thyroid antibody tests
- Radioactive iodine uptake
- Ultrasound imaging
It can be a complicated process, which is why it may be a good idea to consider seeing a thyroid specialist. Someone who is well-trained in evaluating thyroid function and is up to date on current research could help you determine exactly what is going on and find the right treatment.