9 silent signs of a thyroid problem you may be ignoring

The thyroid produces hormones essential for metabolism and brain activity. If you notice any of the following signs persisting, or have more than one, endocrinologists recommend a simple blood test to gauge your hormone levels.

If you’ve always been a good sleeper but suddenly can’t snooze through the night, it could signal a thyroid problem. An overactive thyroid pumps out certain hormones (triiodothyronine, known as T3, and thyroxine, known as T4) in excess, which can overstimulate the central nervous system and lead to insomnia, says Dr Hossein Gharib, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist. On the flip side, if you still feel tired after a full night’s sleep, or the need to sleep more than usual, you might have an underactive thyroid, in which case your body doesn’t produce enough of these hormones.

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Your thyroid might be hyperactive. Too many thyroid hormones can cause jittery feelings, says Dr Ashita Gupta, an endocrinologist at Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital, New York. “There’s more brain stimulation so it excites you to the point where you don’t feel good about it,” she says.

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Frequent constipation could mean an underactive thyroid. Conversely, an overactive thyroid can create the need to go more frequently.

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Thinning hair, particularly eyebrows, is a common sign of thyroid disease. An underactive or overactive thyroid throws off your hair growth cycle.

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Excessive sweating when you’re not exerting yourself is a common sign of a hyperactive thyroid. “The thyroid regulates the body’s energy production. Higher than normal hormone levels mean your metabolism is revved up, which causes people to feel overly warm,” says Gupta.

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An underactive thyroid might be to blame. “A lack of hormones decreases metabolism and calorie burning, so you may see gradual but unexplained weight gain,” says Gharib.

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If you’ve made no major change to your diet or workout, you may have an increased metabolism from an overactive thyroid.

When your thyroid isn’t working right, neither is your brain. With an underactive thyroid, some people report feeling a brain fog, says Gupta. Others report subtle memory loss (the feeling it’s on the tip of my tongue!) or overall mental fatigue. An overactive thyroid can make it difficult to concentrate.

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An overload of thyroid hormones speeds up your body processes, says Gupta. Patients say they feel like they’ve had too much caffeine or have heart palpitations even when they’re relaxed.

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