When you have hypothyroidism, you might not realize it at first. The symptoms come on slowly, and some of them, like fatigue, are similar to other conditions. You might mistake them for signs of aging or stress.
You're getting symptoms because your thyroid gland isn't working right. It's not making enough thyroid hormone, which helps run many of your body's systems. Your doctor can prescribe medicine that boosts your thyroid levels and gets you back to feeling like your old self.
When Your Thyroid Levels Are Low
Hypothyroidism can make you feel tired and sensitive to cold. You also might gain a few extra pounds.
Low thyroid levels can also have an effect on your mood and thinking. For example, you might have:
Depression
Memory problems
Trouble thinking clearly
You may have pain, stiffness, or swelling in your muscles and joints. Your symptoms might also include other signs of swelling, such as:
Swollen tongue
Puffy face
Swelling around your eyes
A hoarse voice, slow speech, and hearing problems are also symptoms of hypothyroidism. So is constipation. And women may have heavy menstrual bleeding.
Changes in your skin can also happen. It can become
Cool and pale
Dry and itchy
Rough or scaly
Yellow-looking, especially on the soles of the feet, palms, and "laugh lines" of the face
You may get brittle nails that grow slowly. Your hair may also change. It could become brittle or coarse, or you could have some hair loss. Sometimes you can get thinning or loss of eyebrow hair, especially on the outer third of your brows.
Because hypothyroidism can weaken your heart and lungs, you might also get symptoms such as:
Slow heart rate
Shortness of breath during exercise
Feeling weak
High blood pressure
High cholesterol levels
Hypothyroidism in Children and Teens
Although the condition usually affects adults, it can also sometimes happen in children and teens. They can have the same symptoms as grownups, but because thyroid hormones control growth, they frequently stop growing as expected. They may also have a delay in reaching puberty. In adolescent girls who are at puberty, hypothyroidism can cause heavy menstrual periods.
Kids with hypothyroidism may also have some problems with schoolwork. They may start to do poorly due to memory problems and fatigue.
When to Get Immediate Care
If you have symptoms of low blood pressure, confusion, a in body temperature, and slowed breathing, you could be getting a serious condition called myxedema coma.
This can happen when thyroid hormones are very low over a long period of time. Or it can be triggered by certain medicines or infections if you have mild or undiagnosed hypothyroidism.
Despite the name, you can develop myxedema coma without going into a coma. The condition can be life-threatening, so get help right away if you have these symptoms.
