What’s wrong with me? Could it be my thyroid?

Are you putting on weight, feeling moody, have dry itchy skin and feel tired despite sleeping all night?
These are just a few of the many symptoms that might suggest you need a thyroid function test.

What is the thyroid gland?
The thyroid gland straddles the windpipe just below the voice box. It looks a little like a bow tie wrapped around with a narrow band in the middle. Its primary function is to regulate the growth and development of the body and brain, maintain a normal body temperature, and influence the rate at which the body uses up fuel. This provides all the cells of the body with the optimum energy production for its needs.

Under-active thyroid
Anything hypo is on the low side or under-functioning while anything hyper is high or over the normal range.
Hypothyroidism is one of the first things your doctor will think of when you say you have no energy even though you are eating normally. Unexplained weight gain with no real change to your eating habits is another classic sign.
You might have noticed your muscles feel weaker, they just don’t have the core strength that you remember, particularly the thigh muscles. If you squat down to do some gardening and you find it much harder to stand up, this could be more than just getting older.
Skin starts getting dry, itchy, scaly and flaky, while your hair starts thinning and losing it’s healthy shine.
Because the thyroid hormones affect every cell, it means there is a huge range of symptoms when there isn’t enough.

But I’m already taking Thyroxine
If you have been prescribed Thyroxine and been taking it for quite a while, you may not realise at first that your symptoms are due to hypothyroidism. This is because occasionally the amount you were first prescribed is no longer enough as you get older.
If you don’t go to your doctor very often, you may not be having the regular blood tests required to ensure your dose is still adequate.
The symptoms of hypothyroidism can creep up on you almost unnoticed, until they really impact on your day to day functioning.
Unfortunately, it can take several weeks of the correct dose before you start feeling normal again. This is why it is a good idea to get it checked every 6 -12 months.

Other symptoms of hypothyroidism
Feeling chilly even in a warm house or never feeling completely warm even when you have put a rug over your knees and another cardigan on.
Your mind might feel a big foggy and you feel flat, not particularly happy.
Constipation can become a problem as well, because everything has slowed down.
Sleep can also be affected with trouble falling asleep even when you are very tired.

Thyroid dysfunction or depression?
As with many symptoms there are often similarities that make it difficult to really know what is going on without having a blood test. Sometimes you won’t even know its happening because the symptoms have so gradually crept up on you that you might have become used to being tired and flat. It is very easy to identify hypothyroidism and treat it successfully once you know that is the issue. If you have someone in your family who hasn’t been themselves for quite some time and these symptoms ring a bell, it may be worth suggesting a visit to the doctor.
When the treatment is so simple, it can be a life-changing decision which results in a very positive outcome.

Erica Fotineas