The thyroid is an essential gland in the base of your head, covering your windpipe on three sides. The gland is more important than you think, as it produces and regulates hormone production, including adrenaline and dopamine, two hormones that control our mood and state of mind. Here’s how you know if there’s something wrong with your thyroid.
You feel tired constantly
When your body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone, one of the first signs is not having enough energy. And you feel more than tired; you’re fatigued! Even after a good night’s sleep. If you can seem to rest and recover, your thyroid is apparently not working well.
You’re depressed
Not producing enough thyroid hormone, a condition called hypothyroidism, causes your body to produce too little serotonin, the ‘feel-good’ hormone, making you feel depressed and moody for no reason. You’re not having a bad day, you have medically proved depression, and people won’t be able to cheer you up easily.
You’re anxious and nervous all the time
If your thyroid produces too much thyroid hormone, in a condition called hyperthyroidism, then you’re always anxious, irritable and on edge. As a result, your body is overwhelmed by brain signals, and you can experience a wide range of emotions in a short period.
Food doesn’t taste right
Hormone imbalance is sometimes easy to spot through your taste buds. If food doesn’t taste right, doesn’t taste like it used to, or don’t taste like anything at all, there’s a good chance your body’s messaging system is all wrong, and that’s your thyroid’s job.
You can’t think straight
If you have trouble concentrating, remembering things, or focusing on a task, it might mean your brain is not working correctly because it lacks essential hormones that keep your mind steady. Hypothyroidism makes your mind feel less sharp, so you’re not going crazy; you just have thyroid problems.
You’ve lost your mojo
If you lose your sex appetite, driven mainly by hormones, it’s your thyroid’s fault. Hypothyroidism makes you lose your libido, and you often don’t know why you don’t have the desire you used to have towards your partner. Without hormone balance, you just don’t function properly.
Your heart loses its rhythm
You might notice your heart palpitates faster for no reason and even skip a beat now and then. Likewise, your heart flutters and agitates for no reason, and that’s scary, and although you’ll probably be okay, this is a clear sign that there’s something wrong with your thyroid.
Your skin is suddenly dryer
A healthy, moist skin means that your metabolism is running smoothly, but dry skin might mean you suffer from hypothyroidism, and your metabolism is running in slow motion. You might have brittle nails too, and your skin might feel itchy. There are other reasons for this condition, though, and they’re not related to your thyroid.
Your digestive system is nothing but trouble
The digestive system is one of the most complex in our bodies, and it relies on good communication with your brain — you need adequate hormonal balance for that. Hypothyroidism leads to constipation, bloating, stomachache and general discomfort. Too much thyroid hormone will give you diarrhea instead.
You’re always cold
Hypothyroidism makes you feel cold more often than usual. You might think you’re too sensitive to low temperatures, but it might actually be because of something wrong with your thyroid. On the other hand, too many thyroid hormones will make you feel hot all the time.
You just can’t have good sleeping habits
Being sleepy and not resting when you sleep are conditions related to hormones directly linked to your thyroid. So, if you can’t have a regular sleeping schedule, that’s presumably because you’re not producing enough sleep hormones. This might lead to being irritable and even depressed.
You can’t get pregnant
As you can surely imagine, if you have a hormonal imbalance, you don’t have a regular period, and you can’t get pregnant easily. Hormone treatments are common for patients that can’t have kids, but the thyroid is most likely the real problem, especially for women.
Love Your Thyroid!
As you see, when there’s something wrong with your thyroid, it over-produces or under-produces vital hormones that regulate everything in your body, from your mood to your bowel movement. So, if you feel there’s something wrong with you, talk to your doctor and tell him or her you think your thyroid is out of whack.
