What are the symptoms of a thyroid problem?
Its funny how one little butterfly shaped gland has a massive domino affect on not only your body but your life as a whole. I’ll admit I knew nothing about the thyroid until after my diagnosis, although looking back I can’t help but realise how much it explains most of my health issues that I was having at the time. If I had of known earlier, would I have felt better sooner? I couldn’t disagree with Rachel Hill when she said “No one knows your body better than you do” (if you haven’t guessed yet Becky and myself have a slight obsession with @theinvisablehypothyroidism) because if you know something is wrong then likely it is! I’m sure that’s something most other thyroid patients can relate with! That’s why its so important to educate yourself on the symptoms of a thyroid problem; whether you suspect you may have one, are a thyroid patient yourself or have a loved one who is suffering. So then what happens when that little butterfly turns against you and the dominoes start to fall?
Hypothyroidism (Underactive thyroid)
Before I was diagnosed, I struggled mainly with extreme fatigue, dry skin and hair loss alongside heavy, irregular periods which in turn followed with low iron but my symptoms continued to develop slowly. Even now, on my bad days i’ll battle with exhaustion, brain fog and sensitivity to cold which usually has my mum and myself battling over the thermostat because having a household with both hypo and menopause doesn’t go well!
Whereas, Becky struggled long before her diagnosis with gluten intolerance however, looking back she believes it was mainly her thyroid to blame. With continuous stomach problems leading to throat and ear infections alongside low vitamin levels, exhaustion, joint pain, it sounds likely.
Of course, this is only a small insight as the same diagnosis will look different on everyone in many ways:
Hyperthyroidism (Overactive thyroid)
We reached out to a close family friend of Becky’s, Louise, who had her thyroid removed as a result of hyperthyroidism who said; “my symptoms came on so gradually at first I didn’t really know how ill I was. At first it felt like I had a constant lump in my throat but thought nothing of it and I started to lose weight, lots of weight. I thought great eating loads but still losing weight. However that was just the start, my heart was racing all the time, my hands had a constant shake and my eyesight was blurry…then the doctor said you need beater blockers or your heart may fail, it was beating so fast.”
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Thyroid issues are hereditary in my family, i know, i know no need to be jealous of us. My cousin, Seainin, who was diagnosed when she was 14 years old, said this was “a gradual process” as her “main symptoms were so different before being diagnosed to anyone else…with extreme tiredness that seems so common, to a visit to the GP – leading to an ultrasound of my neck and numerous paediatrician appointments, I had a heart murmur and thyroid nodules in my neck which caused extreme pain especially when they would burst. Then surgery to remove the nodules revealed high T3/4 hormones diagnosing me with Hashimoto’s.”
This autoimmune disease is estimated to account for 90% of those with hypothyroidism, making it the most common cause for this. Although, the symptoms of Hashimoto’s may not be noticed at first as this develops slowly over time ultimately leading to hypothyroidism and the symptoms that incur. Seainin now suffers from “hair loss, low b12 and Folic acid, lots of infections, brain log, inconsistent appetite and low moods” however her levels are “perfect”.
Many like myself, may have once mistakenly passed these symptoms off as something else and downplayed their severity. This is common as thyroid issues can easily be mistaken for chronic fatigue syndrome, Fibromyalgia, depression, menopause and anxiety to name a few. So if you’re reading this thinking you may have a thyroid issue then we strongly suggest speaking to your doctor as although we are in no way GP’s ourselves, we as thyroid patients are aware of the warning signs.
However, we know going to a GP isn’t easy for everyone especially in the current climate, so we have a solution, never fear (I know, I’m sorry) home blood tests have been a saviour to many thyroid patients which Becky and I now swear by.
Medichecks is the brand which we both use and love and they’ve kindly given us an affiliate link which you can find down below. They offer at home blood tests for thyroid issues and much more. These are super easy to use and lets be honest if me and Becky can do it anymore can, we’re pretty much the two clumsiest people ever! Within a few days you’ll receive the results from a doctor who will help to easily understand what they mean. This can be used to show to your GP for further treatment and monitor your levels. Don’t worry, we’ll be doing an in depth video on this soon, so stay tuned!
I hope this has helped those of you who may be suffering and if you have any questions feel free to message us!
The Butterfly Effect 