Sleep changes
If youโve always been a good sleeper but recently find you canโt snooze through the night, it could signal a thyroid problem. An overactive thyroid pumps out certain hormones (triiodothyronine, known as T3, and thyroxine, known as T4) in excess, which can overstimulate the central nervous system and lead to insomnia, says Hossein Gharib, MD, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist.
On the flip side, if you still feel tired after a full nightโs sleep (or need to sleep more than usual), you might have an underactive thyroid, in which your body doesnโt produce enough hormones. Everyone should know these important thyroid facts.
Sudden anxiety
If youโve never struggled with anxiety but start to feel consistently anxious or unsettled, your thyroid might be hyperactive. Too many thyroid hormones often cause patients to feel jittery or anxious unrelated to anything specific, says Ashita Gupta, MD, an endocrinologist at Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. โThereโs more brain stimulation so it excites you to the point where you donโt feel good about it,โ she says. Adopt these habits for a healthy thyroid.
Changes in bowel habits
Frequent constipation could be an underactive thyroid symptom. โThyroid hormones also play a role in keeping your digestive tract running,โ says Dr. Gupta. โIf you produce too little, things get backed up.โ
An overactive thyroid can create the opposite effect: diarrhea.
Thinning hair
Thinning hair, particularly on your eyebrows, is one of the many thyroid symptoms to watch out for. An underactive or overactive thyroid throws off your hair growth cycle, says Dr. Gupta. Usually, most of your hair grows while a small portion rests, however, when your thyroid hormones are imbalanced, too much hair rests at one time. This causes you hair to look thinner.ย Make sure you know these silent signs of thyroid cancer.
Sweating at random times
Excessive sweating when youโre not exerting yourself is a common sign of a hyperactive thyroid. โThe thyroid regulates the bodyโs energy production. Higher than normal hormone levels mean your metabolism is revved up, which causes people to feel overly warm,โ says Dr. Gupta.
Unusual weight gain
If your jeans feel snug but you swear you havenโt changed your eating or exercise habits, an under active thyroid might be to blame. โLack of hormones decreases metabolism and calorie burning, so you may see gradual but unexplained weight gain,โ says Dr. Gharib.
Feeling ravenous but not gaining weight
On the other hand, if youโre suddenly able to squeeze into smaller-size clothes that havenโt fit in yearsโwithout a major change to your diet or workout regimenโyou may have an overactive thyroid, which causes an increase in metabolism. โPeople often report that their appetite is up and theyโre eating a lot, but they are losing weight instead of gaining,โ says Gupta. These are the foods thyroid experts avoid.
Brain fog
When your thyroid isnโt working right, neither is your brain. With an underactive thyroid, some people report feeling a โbrain fog,โ says Dr. Gupta. Others report experiencing subtle memory lossย (such as that โitโs on the tip of my tongue!โ feeling), or overall mental fatigue. An overactive thyroid can make it difficult to concentrate.
Too much energy (like you’ve guzzled five cups of coffee)
An overload of thyroid hormones speeds up your body processes. โPeople say they feel like theyโve had too much caffeine or have heart palpitations even when theyโre relaxed,โ says Dr. Gupta.
Craving an afternoon nap every day
Daytime tiredness or the urge to nap can be an underactive thyroid symptom. โThe body needs these thyroid hormones to produce energy,โ says Dr. Gharib. Don’t miss these healthy habits for a happy thyroid.
Out-of-wack periods
Your thyroid also helps control your menstrual cycle, says the federal Office of Women’s Health. If your periods become heavier, longer, or occur closer together, your thyroid might not be producing enough hormones. But if your periods get lighter or occur further apart, an overactive thyroid might be producing too many hormones.
Infertility or miscarriage
Women who have difficulty conceiving with no family history of infertilityโor who miscarry in the early stages of pregnancyโshould get a thyroid screening, says Dr. Gupta. โLow hormone levels affect ovulation and predispose you to infertility or miscarriage,โ says Dr. Gupta. โIf you have thyroid disease, [thyroid] hormone supplementation can be very beneficial while trying to conceive and during pregnancy.โย Also, be aware of these other health problems that you can blame on your thyroid.
Developmental delays in children
Thyroid problems often manifest differently in children, says Dr. Gupta, because kids wonโt always be able to express their symptoms. โIf you notice that they are growing significantly slower than their peers, complaining about muscles soreness, or if teachers say theyโre jumpy and unfocused, that could be a sign that they have low hormone levels, which can affect their development,โ says Dr. Gupta.
How to treat a thyroid problem
Overactive and underactive thyroid symptoms are both easily treated.
If your thyroid is overactive: One of the most common treatments is iodine ablation or medical destruction of the thyroid gland. It is an alternative to surgery and does require you to be treated with thyroid hormone for the rest of your life. Doctors also prescribe anti-thyroid medication that slows down the production and release of T4 and T3 hormones. Once hormone levels are balanced, patients can eventually stop taking the medicine, says Dr. Gharib. However, if hyperthyroidism is ignored and left untreated, sometimes surgery to remove some or all of the gland is required, according to the Mayo Clinic.
If your thyroid is underactive: This typically requires lifelong treatment with a synthetic thyroid hormone called levothyroxine. The oral medication restores hormone levels and helps reverse symptoms such as weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, and constipation. However, make sure you also look out for these hidden health dangers of a “normal” thyroid.
- Hossein Gharib, MD, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist.
- Ashita Gupta, MD, an endocrinologist at Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital in New York City.
- Office of Women's Health: "Thyroid disease."