Common Symptoms Of Thyroid Disorders You Need To Know

What is an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism?

Sometimes referred to as a “slow” thyroid, hypothyroidism is a disorder in which the gland is underactive and does not produce a sufficient amount of thyroid hormones. As discussed in previous pages, your thyroid gland produces and releases hormones that are crucial in the healthy functioning of your metabolism, efficient energy production and expenditure, as well as many other vital processes that take place within your body. When the gland is incapable of supplying your system with enough thyroid hormones, these processes slow down, thereby interfering with the normal functioning and all-around wellness of your body.

Hypothyroidism is typically caused by an iodine-deficient diet, certain medications such as lithium, overmedication with thyroid hormones used to treat hyperthyroidism, thyroidectomy or the surgical removal of the thyroid gland, and cancer radiation therapy. But the most common cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disorder known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, by which the body attacks its own thyroid cells.

In its early stages, hypothyroidism may go unnoticed, and you may very well be unaware that your thyroid gland is struggling to produce enough of the T3 and T4 hormones. But, over time, the symptoms may become more dramatic and even become severe, as the disease progresses. With the right medication and management, however, the effects are often reversible. 

Read on for some of the common symptoms of hypothyroidism.