Along with the pituitary gland, the thyroid gland makes up the two master glands in the body that coordinate and stimulate hormone production, control the metabolism, provide energy and brain power for movement and cognition. Thyroid disease has become a pressing problem, is predominantly found in women and can be effectively treated when a proper diagnosis is made. A wide range of symptoms have been recorded, effecting almost every system in the body. Recognizing some of those symptoms may help you to identify whether you suffer from one of the diseases of the thyroid.
Underactive Thyroid Signs
An under active thyroid signifies possible hypothyroidism, a very common form of thyroid disease and one that may have wide ranging effects on your body and lifestyle. If you have hypothyroidism, it means that you don't have enough thyroid hormone being released by your thyroid gland. According to Endocrine Web, the pituitary gland responds to the body's call for thyroid hormone by releasing Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). If the thyroid is unable to produce the proper thyroid hormones, the pituitary gland continues to make TSH in an attempt to get the right amount of thyroid hormone into the system.
Patient advocate and thyroid expert Mary Shomon, of the Thyroid-Info website describes some of the symptoms. You may feel chilly, sluggish, tired, weak, depressed, have difficulty thinking, experience muscle cramps and joint pains, and have difficulty breathing. You may notice weight gain, dry skin, constipation, menstrual problems, and have a miscarriage or infertility.
Overactive Thyroid Symptoms
Some signs of an overactive thyroid, where there is too much thyroid hormone being released from the thyroid gland are also explained by Shomon in the same article. You may experience irritability, nervousness, sweating, brittle and thinning hair, shaking, tremors of the hands, sleeplessness, palpitations, tachycardia, hypertension, hot flashes, panic attacks, lighter menstrual flow that usual, muscle pain and weakness in the arms and legs, weight loss, constant eating and frequent bowel movements. See the link in the Resources section for a complete list.
Graves Disease
Graves disease is an autoimmune disease where the immune system stimulates the thyroid gland to over produce thyroid hormone. Its cause is unknown. Signs of possible Graves disease include all the symptoms of hypothyroidism, including goiter, which is an enlargement of the thyroid gland and can be seen as a bulge in the area of the throat, thyroid nodules, which are small lumps on the thyroid which may be early goiter and thyroid eye disease, which goes under several names according to the Thyroid Hormone MDs. It is characterized by pain, dryness, itching and redness in the eyes as well as swelling of the tissue behind the eyes, resulting in a protrusion of the eyeballs. Thyroid antibodies for Graves disease will be present in blood tests.
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
Hashimotos thyroiditis is also an autoimmune whose cause is not known. The progression of the disease eventually destroys all thyroid tissue leaving a person severely hypothyroid. Any or all of the symptoms of hypothyroidism my be present including an enlargement of one or both sides of the thyroid gland which may be detected on palpation. This occurs when the thyroid gland is no longer able to convert iodine into active thyroid hormones according to the Endocrine Web. Hashimoto's disease may also create symptoms of both hypo and hyperthyroidism in an alternating pattern. Upon taking a blood test, thyroid antibodies will be present in the majority of cases.
