How Do I know if my Thyroid Is Working Properly
The thyroid is a gland in our neck, below the voice box, which is essential to keep our endocrine system working correctly. However, the majority of people who have problems with this gland, mostly women, have not been diagnosed and suffer from a number of symptoms without knowing why. At OneHowTo we explain how to tell if your thyroid is working properly.
Steps to follow:
The thyroid is responsible for producing the T4 and T3 hormones i.e. thyroxine and triiodothyronine, which it produces using the iodine in the body that comes from our food.
With these hormones, our body gets the fuel it needs for our metabolism. But for everything to work properly we need the thyroid itself to function correctly. An under-active thyroid will leave us feeling weak and tired. On the other hand, an overactive gland will make us very nervous and almost hyperactive.
To tell if your thyroid is working properly, the first thing to check for is any abnormality in our neck (a lump that wasn't there before or similar) and, in the same way as we can check ourselves for breast cancer, we can use a mirror to see if the gland is lumpy or completely swollen, which is also known as a goiter. In both cases, it is essential to seek medical advice.
There's also a number of symptoms that can warn us if there is something wrong with our thyroid. Hyperthyroidism is when the gland is overactive. If you have hyperthyroidism there are a number of symptoms that you can detect:
- Excessive sweating
- Sensitivity to high temperatures
- Diarrhoea
- Tiredness
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Increased appetite
- Weight loss, even though you're eating more than usual.
On the other hand, hypothyroidism indicates that the thyroid gland is under-active. There are also some symptoms that can help you detect this:
- It can cause constipation
- Weight gain
- Tiredness
- Depression
- Heavy periods
- Sensitivity to cold temperatures
- A weak or hoarse voice.
However, a large number patients do not experience any symptoms at all. For this reason it is important to go for regular medical check-ups because a specialist can check that your thyroid is working properly with a simple test on your levels of T4, T3 and TSH, a pituitary hormone that stimulates the thyroid gland.
if you do have a thyroid problem, we advise you take a look at this list of foods rich in iodine for thyroid.
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
If you want to read similar articles to How Do I know if my Thyroid Is Working Properly, we recommend you visit our Family health category.
Tips
- If you have a thyroid problem you may also feel drowsy, forget things frequently and get "foggy" vision.
