It’s January. You’re feeling sluggish. Your hair isn’t looking its best, and you feel like you’re fighting a double battle between wintertime weight gain and seasonal blues. All these things are normal, right? Perhaps, but your problems could be from a little gland you may never think about – your thyroid.
The thyroid gland, butterfly-shaped and found in the lower front of the neck, makes hormones that are carried to every part of your body by your blood. Thyroid hormones help you use energy, control your body’s temperature and help your organs stay on track and working well. According to The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, at least 30 million Americans have a thyroid problem, with half not knowing anything is wrong.
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The experts at NurseWise, a national multilingual nurse triage and health education provider, have five signs that you may be one of those 15 million for Thyroid Awareness Month:
1. Less-than-luxurious locks? Winter dry air is a killer for both your skin and hair. But if you’ve noticed your hair falling out, you can’t stop scratching your skin or your nails are more brittle than normal, the problem may be more than the amount of humidity in the air but the amount of thyroid hormone in your blood. Make an appointment to talk through this with your healthcare provider.
2. Winter blues or thyroid bad news? The winter blues are something many of us wrestle with come January. But if you find yourself sad or anxious more than you can remember for this time of year, consider getting your thyroid checked. When your thyroid is running too hard (hyperthyroidism), you feel jittery. When it’s running too low (hypothyroidism), your mood sinks low, too.
3. Your weight changes for no reason, not even the season? Gaining weight around the holidays is not uncommon. But if you’ve been working to keep your calorie count down and your exercise time up with no noticeable results, it may not be your habits that are to blame for your gain. Since the thyroid controls your metabolism in part, unexplained weight gain may be a sign your gland is in trouble, so get it checked in addition to hitting the gym.
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4. Throat woes but not blowing your nose? Sore throats go hand-in-hand with January, when colds and the flu seem to be everywhere. But if your throat hurts and no cold appears, it may be your thyroid sending out an SOS signal. Hoarseness, soreness or the feeling of a lump in your throat may be a sign to schedule some time with your healthcare provider.
5. Sleep that fails to refresh? Sleeping eight hours, but still bleary-eyed in the morning? Dragging yourself out of bed every day? If you’ve tackled everything you think is keeping you tired – cutting out alcohol and caffeine, removing electronics from the bedroom, going to bed earlier – and are still struggling in the morning, it could be your thyroid. Both overactive and underactive thyroids can cause you to have night sweats, keeping you from getting the rest you need. See your healthcare provider to find out more.
To learn more about your thyroid and to find more resources, please visit the American Thyroid Association at http://www.thyroid.org.
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