What are the side effects of an underactive thyroid?

Ahoy there matey! Welcome aboard this journey through one of nature’s most confusing and potentially disastrous ailments. Are you feeling extra tired lately? Is your hair falling out like autumn leaves? Are you gaining weight faster than a sumo wrestler on cheat day? Well, buckle up buttercup because there may be a deeper issue at play here. Let’s explore what happens when your thyroid decides to nada.

What Even is Your Thyroid?

Before we dive into the deep end, let’s make sure everyone knows what we’re dealing with here. Your thyroid gland is responsible for producing hormones that regulate growth and metabolism — in short, it controls how fast or slow everything in your body runs.

This small but mighty butterfly-shaped gland sits right above your collarbone and can expand or shrink depending on its needs, like a smart shapeshifter or a stretchy caterpillar.

When Sht Hits the Fan: Symptoms Galore

Now imagine if said stretching creature decided to take a nap…that’s basically what happens when your thyroid underproduces or stops producing hormones altogether. And boy oh boy does it wreak havoc on every inch of your being.

Weight Gain (The Horror!)

One of the most frustrating symptoms that people with an underactive thyroid face (besides having zero energy) is unintentional weight gain, which can make anyone feel as loved as expired milk cartons.

Without those essential hormones kicking things into gear, your metabolism slows down significantly, making it easier for food to turn into blubber instead of fuel.

Hair Loss (Not my precious locks!)

Remember Rapunzel from Tangled? Beautiful golden locks draped over everything she touched? Now replace Golden locks with clumps of hairball shedding- especially out of season. The hair loss caused by an underactive thyroid can ruin even the most confident person’s day.

Fatigue (Netflix > Everything)

Are you one of those people who tell friends and coworkers that they can’t hang out because they need to “go home and recharge”? Yup? Ok good then welcome aboard- it sounds like your battery needs some tweaking.

One of the most common symptoms of an underactive thyroid is excessive fatigue, which makes it hard to do anything beyond Netflix binging, speaking spoonerisms, or impersonating famous metaphors.

What Causes This Cruel Fate?

Now that we’ve covered all the excitement surrounding this fun condition… where does this actually come from?

Possible Causes could be:

Genetics (Blame your parents!)

This one involves blaming someone else rather than yourself for once… some individuals are born with a predisposition towards developing an underactive thyroid. Your genetic makeup sets you up for success — and possibly failure.

Autoimmune Diseases (Get Some Help From Yourself)

Your body is capable of doing wild things – including turning on itself in misguided attacks like autoimmune diseases. Hashimoto’s disease causes inflammation within the gland & may cause hypothyroidism due(https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hashimotos-disease/about/symptoms-causes/syc-20351855#:~:text=Overview,in%20people%20with%20Hashimoto’s.)to impairments affecting hormone production levels through lackluster activity.

​Radioiodine Treatment(Whoopsie Daisy……Oops)

In certain cases, radioactive iodine treatment damages or destructs (your innocent)thyroid cells to reduce hormone production – often intentionally as part cancer treatments regimes…..who knew getting rid off cancers was so damaging???

Conclusion

Well friends, remember in summary: Your thyroid is one of the most important players in your body’s game, regulating (almost) everything you do. If it stops working right…everything else seems to fall apart too.

So if you’re experiencing those symptoms: saggy pants or belated laziness, hair loss that ain’t normal(and no, seasonal should not be a standard excuse), or more tired than usual—it could be time to get some answers from the experts(read doctors!)…… all while hoping its just hypothyroidism —better safe than sorry folks!

Dane Raynor

Hey there, I’m Dane Raynor, and I’m all about sharing fascinating knowledge, news, and hot topics. I’m passionate about learning and have a knack for simplifying complex ideas. Let’s explore together!