7 Signs That You Have Thyroid Issues and How Functional Medicine Can Help

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Feeling more tired or moodier than usual? Maybe you’re feeling colder than normal, are constipated, or your weight has increased for no reason. These are a few common signs that you may be struggling with thyroid issues. Your thyroid is a small gland in your neck that controls your metabolism and regulates many bodily functions by producing thyroid hormones. When your thyroid under or over-produces hormones, that could affect your body in many ways. If you are struggling to identify your symptoms, we can help you learn more about how thyroid issues can affect you.

Hypothyroidism v. Hyperthyroidism

There are two types of thyroid issues: hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Like two sides of a coin, both affect the thyroid but show opposite symptoms.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones, and it is the most common thyroid disorder.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is also known as an overactive thyroid, or when your thyroid produces too much thyroid hormone.

Some patients can experience hyperthyroidism and have it evolve into hypothyroidism, but it’s not very common. Your medical provider can determine which thyroid issues you might be struggling with based on your symptoms, physical exam, and comprehensive thyroid blood tests.

1. Weight Change

One of the primary functions of the thyroid is to regulate metabolism. When your body is experiencing thyroid issues that can cause your weight to change. With hypothyroidism, your metabolism slows down, which makes it easier to gain weight, whereas hyperthyroidism causes your metabolism to speed up, which may cause weight loss.

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2. Irregular Periods

If you’re experiencing thyroid issues, you could likely be experiencing irregular periods. Along with regulating your metabolism, your thyroid also plays a role in regulating periods, causing your periods to be lighter, heavier, or stop for long periods of time.

3. Fatigue

Your metabolism regulates and helps to create energy from the foods that you eat. When it slows down, as it does with hypothyroidism, it can cause fatigue and lethargy. However, with hyperthyroidism, your metabolism is faster, which may make you feel more energetic and cause restlessness. If you find that your energy levels are very low regardless of the amount of sleep you get, you might want to discuss the possibility of thyroid issues with your doctor.

4. Dry Skin and Hair

As the thyroid helps regulate many areas of the body, it also can affect the skin and hair. Thyroid issues can cause dry, irritated skin, discoloration, and thin or brittle hair. It’s believed this happens due to decreased eccrine gland secretion, which can affect the amount of natural oil that keeps your skin and hair healthy. Patients with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism might also experience hair loss.

5. Mood Changes

Depression is a common occurrence with thyroid issues. A slowed metabolism can cause fatigue, weight gain, and a lack of energy, all of which are linked to signs of depression. For patients with hyperthyroidism, moderate to severe anxiety is far more common than depression. Mood changes and struggles with mental health are not usually the sole sign of a thyroid issue. If you struggle with depression and anxiety but do not experience other symptoms on this list, we recommend first talking to a mental health professional.

6. Constipation

One of the most common symptoms of thyroid issues is slowed gastric motility. Since metabolism slows down, digestion does too, which leads to many patients reporting constipation, bloating, and even heartburn. When your thyroid is overactive, you may instead experience more frequent or looser stools.

Feel Better and Live Better

Though any one of these changes on the list can help you towards a healthy lifestyle, these changes are meant to work together to improve all areas of your health. By committing to these healthy habits, you’ll begin to see results and feel better than before.

7. You Feel Hot and Cold

The thyroid is your body’s thermostat. When it produces more thyroid hormones, it makes you feel warm, because your body burns more energy. When it doesn’t produce enough hormones, your body slows and it doesn’t burn as much energy, causing you to feel cold. So if you’re always cold, or nothing seems to cool you down, you may have thyroid issues.

Professional Help for Your Thyroid Issues

Your thyroid health shouldn’t be overlooked. When it’s out of balance, so is your body, which is why it’s important to be thorough with your blood work. At Robinson MD, we look at imbalances in a very comprehensive way – looking at TSH, free T4, free T3, reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies. When left untreated, thyroid autoimmune diseases can lead to other harmful conditions.

We also examine nutrients like zinc and selenium, which are required for the production of thyroid hormones. In addition to these nutrients, we also look at heavy metals that disrupt thyroid pathways. Many people who have autoimmune thyroid disease also have celiac or non-celiac gluten intolerance so we also test for this common food intolerance. To learn if our approach to thyroid issues and other health issues is right for you, take our Wellness Questionnaire.

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