Symptoms of Thyroid

Thyroid symptoms occur when there is abnormal function of the thyroid gland. Either an over active thyroid (hyperthyroidism) or an under active thyroid (hypothyroidism) can result in thyroid symptoms

Hyperthyroidism occurs in about 2% of women and 0.2% of men. It is characterized by weight loss, sweating, heat intolerance, goiter, fast heart rate, exopthalmos, clubbing of the fingers and pretibial myxedema. Other thyroid symptoms associated with hyperthyroidism include exaggerated reflexes, difficulty with sleeping, and general inability to sit still because of an excessive need to keep moving and active.

Thyroid symptoms associated with hypothyroidism can vary among people and sometimes people have relatively few symptoms. Common hypothyroidism symptoms include depression, fatigue, weight gain, forgetfulness, thinning of the hair, and facial swelling. Other thyroid symptoms associated with hypothyroidism can include coarsening of the hair, slowed speech, dry skin, drooping eyelids, and increased need for sleep.

Other hypothyroidism symptoms include increased menstrual bleeding, constipation, numbness of the hands and feet, and feeling cold when others are not.

Symptoms of Thyroid often do not lead directly to the underlying diagnosis and many symptoms can be misleading. Please review all concerns and information found on this website with your health care provider.