Symptoms of Underactive Thyroid (Hypothyroidism)
The symptoms of hypothyroidism are frequently missed out and especially in elderly females, these are mistaken to be symptoms of menopause. The beginning of the symptoms is often not noted markedly and hence the condition remains under-diagnosed.
The patient may experience a few of the following symptoms:
- Fatigue, exhaustion
- Weakness, sluggishness
- Unexplained weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
- Coarse, dry hair and/or thinning of hair
- Hair loss
- Dry, rough, pale and itchy skin
- Cold intolerance (can't tolerate the cold like those around you)
- Constipation
- Depression, mood swings
- Irritability
- Memory loss
- Abnormal menstrual cycles increased menstrual flow
- Decreased libido
- Infertility, miscarriages
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Thinning and/or falling out of sides of eyebrows
- Puffy, swollen face and dull facial expressions
- Hoarse voice and slow speech
- Goiter (swelling of the thyroid gland)
- Non-pitting edema (swelling)
- Pitting edema (swelling) of the feet
The patient may have any kind of combination of the symptoms mentioned above depending on the duration and severity of the condition. Occasionally the patient may be asymptomatic or may be having very subtle symptoms.