Signs of an Overactive Thyroid

The Thyroid Gland can produce either too little hormone or too much. Signs of an overactive thyroid gland which causes a condition called Hyperthyroidism include the following:

Hyperthyroidism Symptoms
Nervousness
Irritability
Difficulty Sleeping
Bulging eyes
Goiter or enlarged thyroid gland
Increased Sweating
Intolerance to Heat
Unexplained weight loss
Frequent Bowel Movements
Tremor in Hands/Fingers

Could Your Thyroid Be Causing You to Gain Weight

Weight Gain and The Thyroid Gland

If you’re constantly on a “diet” and eating healthily and exercising but are having trouble losing weight, your thyroid could be making you fat. And with each year of advancing age, some type of thyroid dysfunction becomes more likely.

How do you know if your thyroid is not working efficiently?

Signs of an Underfunctioning or Low Thyroid include:
Fatigue
Depression
Dry or Coarse Hair
Puffy Face and eyes
Dry Skin
Intolerance to Cold
Weight Gain
Inability to Lose Weight
Constipation
Brittle Nails
Goiter – or enlargement of the thyroid gland

It is important to know that there are different types of thyroid testing and many times physicians will only do one type of test for the thyroid instead of a complete panel, and therefore patients may struggle for years with an underfunctioning thyroid because they are told their thyroid tests were “normal.” Especially if you are over 40 years old, female, and are eating well and still struggling with weight issues, ask your doctor for a thyroid test. And, find out specifically what tests your doctor is doing for your thyroid and as always, get a copy of your results for your own files and medical records. To read more about thyroid testing we’ve included some additional resources here on the HospitalSoup.com site.

Thyroid Testing

There are numerous thyroid tests that can be done in order to evaluate the functioning of your thyroid gland. The tests below are those that have been recommended as a starting point for evaluating thyroid function. If you suspect that you have a thyroid problem but have been previously told that your thyroid is “normal”, you may want to make sure that the following tests have been done and then get a copy of your test results for your own review.

TSH – Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
The TSH test is the most common type of blood test that physicians order however, it does not provide the “full picture” in terms of thyroid health. Measuring the amount of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in your bloodstream, the TSH test is just one test used in thyroid hormone testing.

Free T3 – Total Triiodothyronine
T3 is the name for Triiodothyronine and by getting the “FREE” T3 test, you are measuring the amount of active thyroid hormone in your system.

Free T4 – Total Thyroxine/Serum Thyroxine
The “Free” T4 tests measures the levels of unbound, free thyroxine levels in your blood. Conversely, bound levels of the hormone are levels of the hormone that are circulating but not available immediately to the body for it’s use and can be affected by illness, other drugs or pregnancy. Because the “FREE” T3 levels are measuring hormone levels of immediately available hormones, it is thought to be a better test than the Total T4 levels.

TPO – Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) Antibodies (TPOAb) / Antithyroid Peroxidase Antibodies
This test is very important because TPO antibodies, if you have them, make your body work against thyroid peroxidase, which is important in the body’s ability to convert T4 to T3. Having TPO antibodies can also be a sign of tissue destruction and Hashimotos Disease, and may also make your other thyroid tests (TSH) etc, fluctuate between being normal, too high, or too low, depending if when the tests were done, your thyroid gland was being attacked by the thyroid antibodies. Many women have been told that their thyroid’s were “fine” without being tested for TPO antibodies and later found out that they had undiagnosed Hashimotos Disease which contributed to a problem with feeling poorly for years because they were never tested for thyroid antibodies.

Thyroglobulin/Tg
Antithyroglobulin antibodies or TG antibodies may also be a sign of Hashimotos disease or Graves Disease. Graves Disease patients with Thyroglobulin antibodies may be more likely to eventually become hypothyroid at some point in the future.

It is a good idea to always get copies of all your lab work and keep those in a folder so that you can begin monitoring your own results. When test results come back keep in mind that you will be given a “range” of what is normal for each specific test. It is important to look at your “range” and note or discuss any high or low ranges with your doctor if you are not feeling well. For example, the rangs for TSH is generally 0.3 to 3.0 but if someone has results in the 2.9 range, then they may not feel optimal at that level. What you will be learning is to find out not only what your results are, but to advocate for yourself so that you can determine where you feel “optimal”.

Thyroid Problems Often go Undiagnosed

The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly shaped gland located in the lower front part of the neck area. The hormones secreted by the thyroid gland control the body’s metabolism and how cells convert oxygen and calories into energy. More than 27 million Americans may have a problem with their thyroids including too little thyroid hormone, called hypothyroidism, or too much thyroid hormone, called hyperthyroidism.

Women are more likely than men to develop hypothyrodism and may find it difficult to be diagnosed properly from their physicians. Because the thyroid can affect almost every system in the body the symptoms may vary and affect numerous systems within the body.

Symptoms of a Low Thyroid Condition (Hypothyroidism) Include:

Fatigue
Weight Gain
Puffy Face
Joint and Muscle Pain
Intolerance to Cold
Constipation
Dry, Thinning Hair
Outer 3rd of Eyebrows may appear very thin or sparse
Decreased sweating
Irregular or Heavy Menstrual Periods
Depression
Slow Heart Rate

Doctors may miss many cases of thyroid disorders, especially if seen in their women patients because women who come into a clinician’s office complaining of weight gain and some of the other symptoms associated with low thyroid disorders may be told they are simply pre-menopausal or that weight gain “is to be expected” at a certain age etc. Or physicians may not order a full range of thyroid tests when checking for thyroid dysfunction, thus missing critical pieces of the diagnostic puzzle for those patients dealing with thyroid issues.

It is important for patients to learn how to advocate for themselves by asking for specific thyroid testing to be done if they have symptoms of a thyroid disorder. In the next segment, we will cover the thyroid tests you can ask your doctor to order for you if you are concerned about your thyroid function.

« Previous Page