Got Thyroid?

The thyroid gland sits in the lower part of your neck and is responsible for control of a lot of activities that go on in your body--everything from metabolism to hair growth.

So, it's easy to blame the thyroid when life seems a bit off, but remember that there are also lots of other control mechanisms for these same body activities.

Hyperthyroidism, also known as "high/overactive thyroid" happens when the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone, essentially "speeding up" the body's processes. Sometimes (but not always), this is accompanied by enlargement of the thryoid gland. Common symptoms include:

• Fatigue / muscle weakness
• Tremors
• Mood swings
• Nervousness, anxiety
• Sleep difficulties
• Heart palpitations
• Diarrhea
• Prominent eyes
• Weight loss
• Changes in menstruation

Hypothyroidism, also known as "low/underactive thyroid" happens when the thyroid gland produces too little thyroid hormone, "slowing down" the body's processes. Common symptoms include:

• Fatigue / muscle cramps and muscle weakness
• Coarse/dry hair and skin, sometimes with hair loss
• "Feeling cold"
• Mood swings
• Depression, irritability
• Constipation
• Memory loss
• Weight gain
• Changes in menstruation or libido

As you can see, there is some overlap in the symptoms of hyper and hypothyroidism, and there are plenty of symptoms in these lists that can be due to problems other than a person's thyroid (ie: stress, personal eating changes, depression, aging, etc.)

Fortunately, a simple physical exam and basic lab tests are all that's required to screen for thyroid disorders. In fact, this is usually a part of a routine adult annual exam.

If you are concerned that you may have a thyroid disorder, please speak with your primary care provider and he/she can discuss with you about checking some screening labs. If you have abnormal labs, then you may need an endocrinologist--feel free to give my office a call!