Why thyroid problems and their symptoms should be examined by health professionals
Tiredness, hair loss and weight gain could be pointers to an underactive thyroid gland, but other, unrelated causes need to be ruled out first and use of medication needs to be carefully monitored
Feeling tired all the time? Putting on weight? Losing hair? You might have an underactive thyroid. Proper testing and medication could set you straight, but there could be other issues at play.
First, a few basic things to understand about the thyroid: its function is to take iodine, which is found in many foods, and convert it into the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3).
Thyroid cells are the only cells in the body that can absorb iodine. These cells combine iodine and the amino acid tyrosine to make T3 and T4. This T3 and T4 are then released into the bloodstream and are responsible for controlling metabolism.
“Most of the time patients have non-specific complaints: fatigue, hair loss, weight gain, occasionally constipation. Dry skin sometimes,” says Dr Charlene Kulenkampf from Dr Lauren Bramley & Partners in Hong Kong’s Central district.
The first step is a blood test to determine the levels of thyroid hormones. When you produce too much of the hormones, the condition is known as hyperthyroidism. This is relatively rare. Hypothyroidism, when the body doesn’t produce enough of the hormones, is much more common and will be the concern of this story.