Symptoms of Hypothyroid (Low Thyroid)

In today’s society, we hear the word “hypothyroidism” or term “low thyroid” quite often. Patients
are always asking, “What are symptoms of a low thyroid?” Low thyroid levels present with a
variety of symptoms in a patient. One of the primary symptoms of low thyroid is fatigue. While
fatigue is common to many other health issues, this rings very true with a hypo, or low thyroid.

Fatigue presents in a hypothyroid patient because thyroid hormone’s main role is to control
energy production (metabolism) inside the cell. Within our cells we have a powerhouse called
the mitochondria that helps us produce energy from fat, sugar and protein. The thyroid in part
controls the rate of the mitochondria therefore has a direct role in how much energy is
produced.  Symptoms that are thyroid related are generally a direct result of the decreased
energy production. Our body runs on energy and it takes energy for the body to perform all of
its other jobs so you can see why low energy is a big problem for the body.  Heat is a form of
energy so you can imagine that if your body is having a hard time producing energy then it is
not going to be able to produce the energy needed warm you up. Cold hands and cold feet are
among the most common symptoms of low thyroid.  Other symptoms related to poor energy
production in a particular part of the body include depression and a low immune system.

Poor digestion is another symptom of low thyroid. Poor digestion leads to poor absorption of
nutrients that we should receive from our food. When we do not absorb our nutrients the body
starts to do a variety of things. First, we see the symptoms spread to our external appearance.
Our hair starts to fall out, we get dry and itchy skin, we have dry and brittle hair, slow wound
healing and also the outside portion of our eyebrows starts to thin. Secondly, we see our body
hanging on to and storing our “food” due to poor absorption that leads to one being weight loss
resistant!

Patients who have sleep problems can also be suffering from a low thyroid. This is a very
important symptom that tends to get overlooked by our primary care physicians. The sleep
issue could be related to blood sugar and/or adrenal gland imbalances which have a direct
effect on your thyroid.
  
Here are a few more common symptoms of hypothyroid:

•        Unexplained weight gain
•        Weight Loss Resistance
•        Pale, dry skin
•        Constipation
•        Muscle weakness
•        Hoarse voice
•        Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
•        Pain, stiffness, tenderness in your joints
•        Brittle fingernails and hair
•        Anxiety
•        Elevated blood cholesterol level

Identifying and correcting the true root of the problem should be your primary goal when
working on your health. The question to ask is “why is my thyroid not functioning properly?”
Call us at Complete Health and Weight Loss so we can help answer that question for you.

972-735-0707

If you are suffering from symptoms of low thyroid but you do not live in the Dallas Fort
Worth area, we can still help you through virtual consultations.