Authored by Dr. Mary James, ND
Uncovering thyroid issues can be tricky — even when you’re suffering from weight gain, cold sensitivity, deep fatigue or other well-known thyroid symptoms. But it’s even more difficult when you suspect something isn’t quite right and your doctor says, “you’re fine.”
How do you know if you have a hidden thyroid problem?
Here’s the first clue to help you determine if you have a hidden thyroid issue: many women who suffer from common symptoms are also often experiencing lesser–known symptoms that can signal hypothyroidism, or sluggish thyroid. In rare cases, some of these lesser-known symptoms may be the only symptoms showing up.
Rare symptoms of hypothyroidism
1. Skin symptoms
- Yellowing of palms and soles of the feet
- Hives
- Psoriasis (skin redness, itching and flaking)
2. Skeletal and muscular symptoms
- Muscle aches or spasms
- Joint pain
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Psoriatic arthritis
3. Mental/emotional symptoms
- Mental dullness
- Deeper depression, melancholy feelings
4. Reproductive symptoms
- Infertility
- Menstrual irregularities
- Menstrual cramps
- Milky-white nipple discharge that isn’t related to breast feeding
5. Digestive symptoms
- Constipation or hard bowel movements every two days at most
If you’ve been suffering from a common symptom like fatigue or unusual weight gain, and haven’t been able to pinpoint why — even with the help of your healthcare practitioner — uncovering some of the more unusual symptoms of hypothyroidism may help you pinpoint a thyroid issue.
5 common hypothyroidism symptoms
Thyroid issues and the symptoms they cause frequently start small and get worse as your metabolism continues to slow down. If you’re wondering whether you might have a thyroid issue, consider symptoms you’ve had for a while that you may have thought were caused by something else. These are some of the most common symptoms of low thyroid:
1. Severe fatigue/loss of energy
- High levels of fatigue
- Sleeping more than average
- Persisting lack of energy after rest
2. Weight gain/difficulty losing weight
- Unexplained weight gain
- Changes to body shape
3. Dry skin, brittle nails
- New wrinkles
- Dry or cracked skin patches
- Itchy rashes
- Split, weak or peeling fingernails
4. Hair issues
- Brittle hair or hair thinning
- Premature graying of the hair
- Loss of outer-third of eyebrows
5. More sensitivity to cold and lower body temperature
A natural thyroid solution for your symptoms
A whole-body approach can help naturally relieve symptoms of subclinical hypothyroid issues. This support helps maintain thyroid hormone production while supporting normal thyroid function and healthy thyroid cell metabolism. The phytotherapeutic T-Balance Plus can help relieve your symptoms and provide a boost in energy by restoring thyroid balance with an exclusive science-based formulation.
