How Many Of These Signs And Symptoms Do You Have
Skin
Dry, pale, and cool skin Moist, velvety, and warm skin like a babys Dry skin with deep cracks and scale Deep, noticeable lines on your palms and soles Yellowish-orange color on your palms and soles Doughy and swollen face, especially on your eyelids, lips, and tongue Widening nose Sweating less than before Goiter Protruding eyes Flushing on your face and red palms Darker skin in the creases of your palms, on your gums, or elsewhere in your mouth Rashes, especially in the creases of your skin Painless lumps and patches of scaly, discolored skin, and the affected skin feels hard and waxy Reddish spots on the skin that come and go
Protruding eyes
When eyes protrude, its often a sign of thyroid disease.
Painless lumps and patches of scaly skin feel hard and waxy
Lumps on discolored skin that feel hard and waxy can be a sign of thyroid disease.
Hair
Thinning eyebrows on the outer edge Coarse, dull, dry, and brittle hair that breaks easily Soft and fine hair with lots of shedding Thinning hair or balding patches Growing more slowly Dry, itchy scalp and dandruff Less hair on your legs, arms, and other areas
Nails
Thick, dry, and brittle with visible ridges Soft, shiny, and easily crumble Growing more slowly Peel, crumble, or break easily Lift up Curved with swollen fingertip and thickening skin above the nail
Curved nails with swollen fingertip
Itch
Itchy skin without a rash Untreatable and itchy hives
Existing skin disease
The Basics Of Hair Loss
Hair loss can occur for a large variety of reasons. In men, the most common cause of hair loss is male pattern baldness a form of hormonal hair loss thats caused by a genetic sensitivity to the hormone dihydrotestosterone, or DHT.
This type of hair loss occurs when DHT gradually miniaturizes the hair follicles, stopping them from producing new hairs.
However, its also possible for your thyroid to contribute to hair loss by disrupting your bodys natural hair growth cycle.
As weve covered in our guide to the hair growth process, every single hair on your scalp goes through a four-stage growth process, with each stage corresponding to a different phase in the hairs development:
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During the anagen phase, the hair grows from the follicle
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During the catagen phase, the follicle shrinks and the hair detaches from your scalp
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During the telogen phase, a new hair starts to grow underneath the old hair
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During the exogen phase, the old hair falls out and is replaced by the new hair
As part of this process, old hairs that have reached the end of their growth cycle are constantly falling out from your scalp, causing you to lose about 50 to 100 hairs every day. Since your hair follicles dont all grow in sync, this daily loss doesnt have any impact on your appearance.
Understanding this simple process is key to understanding how thyroid disorders, as well as a range of other medical conditions, can affect your hair.
Symptoms Of Thyroid Disease
Any type of thyroid disease can cause a number of different symptoms, but they can sometimes be subtle. In addition to hair loss or thinning hair, be aware of these other symptoms:
- Changes in mood, such as anxiety, irritability, and increased nervousness
- Being unable to tolerate hot temperatures or cold temperatures
- Insomnia or lethargy and sleeping too much
- Weight changes either weight loss or weight gain
- Abnormal menstruation
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If Your Hair Feels Like This Get Your Thyroid Checked Experts Warn
The texture could be a sign of an issue with this key gland, according to doctors.
Your thyroid gland is one of the most important parts of how your body functions day to day. It’s responsible for creating and producing hormones that control everything from your metabolism to the health of your heart, bones, and GI system. If things aren’t right, your thyroid can be both over- and underactive, issues an estimated 20 million Americans experience, according to the American Thyroid Association. Unfortunately, women are up to eight times more likely than men to have some kind of thyroid disease.
If your body is creating too much thyroid hormone, you have hyperthyroidism too little and it’s hypothyroidism. The most commonly observed symptoms that come from an overactive thyroid are hypersensitivity to hot temperatures, weight loss, and a racing heart while an underactive thyroid leads to tiredness, weight gain, and a hypersensitivity to cold temperatures. However, the impact of too much or too little thyroid hormone on your body can be felt in many other areas too. If your thyroid isn’t working right, even your hair can feel different, with experts warning that certain changes to your locks may be a sign that something’s amiss. For the full story of how your hair can function as an early warning sign of a thyroid issue, read on.
There Are Some Other Surface Symptoms Of Thyroid Disease You Should Be Looking Out For
The thyroid is so integral to your body’s regulation that anytime levels are off, it can cause a vast array of issues. Safer’s paper warns that there are multiple skin manifestations of thyroid dysfunction, including thin, scaly skin edema to the hands, face, and eyelids thin or brittle nails irregular sweating cold intolerance heat intolerance and drooping of the eyelids. Of course, that’s in addition to an enlarged goiter at the base of your neck, the tell-tale sign of a thyroid issue.
If any of these symptoms are occurring, your doctor can check your hormone levels and determine the best course of action. Given the wide range of conditions that both hyper- and hypothyroidism can cause, it’s essential that you don’t delay investigation.
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What Are The Risks Of A Partial Thyroidectomy
You may bleed more than expected and need a blood transfusion. Your voice may be hoarse or weak after surgery, and this may become a long-term problem. Your neck may be bruised and swollen, and it may be hard for you to breathe or swallow. Your parathyroid glands may not work as well as they should after surgery. This can cause your calcium levels to drop too low. Low calcium levels can cause many problems, including an irregular heartbeat, muscle spasms, and seizures. This may be a short-term problem after surgery, or it may be a long-term problem.
What Are Early Warning Signs Of Thyroid Problems
Your thyroid is a small gland that produces hormones. Under some circumstances, this gland may begin to produce too many thyroid hormones. This issue is called hyperthyroidism. In contrast, this gland will produce an insufficient amount of hormones if you develop hypothyroidism. There are several early warning signs that may indicate that you have developed one of these thyroid issues.
If you are experiencing these problems, you should schedule a thyroid test at our office in Louisville. After we diagnose your problem, we can recommend medications and other treatments that will relieve your symptoms and enhance your health.
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Frank Discussion About Weight Changes And Heart Disease Risk Needed
Awareness of the tendency for weight gain is the first crucial step for every patient with hyperthyroidism, Dr. Boelaert says. She says doctors should be more forthcoming about the probability of weight gain but that patients should be prepared to discuss it and insist it become part of your care plan.
I tell patients, When I make you better, I expect that you will gain weight. The evidence is that probably you will gain more than you lost. So know this, and advocate for clear guidance on what you can change to slow any inevitable weight gain and to prevent exceeding your usual, healthy weight.
Dr. Boelaert found slightly more higher net weight gain in her patients who had radioactive iodine therapy than drugs alone, but she doesnt think this side effect should not steer people away from having RAI treatment since the cure is much higher with this treatment, she says.
She notices that the patients who do adopt a healthier lifestyle, if they werent already following a heart healthy diet and getting daily physical activity, when she first met them, can curtail the otherwise likely excess weight gain.
Having an overactive thyroid is not a benign disease, she tells her patients. Treatment is crucial and so is keeping an eye on your weight as the treatment process progresses.
Neither Dr. Boelaert nor Dr. Srinath have any disclosures.
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Hair Styles And Root Support
Ensure to treat your hair gently. Avoid using harsh colouring products and shampoos, perms and heating tools. Refrain from wearing hairstyles that pull on the hair and embrace the braid. This causes less impact on the follicle, thus helping it recover quicker. The same logic applies if you wear hair extensions you need to reduce the unnecessary pull on the hair root that comes from wearing extensions.
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The Life Cycle Of Hair
To identify the difference between normal hair loss and that related to a thyroid condition, it’s important to understand the three phases of the hair life cycle. These include:
Verywell / Emily Roberts
- Anagen phase: This is the growth phase, meaning your hair is actively growing. The rate of growth and duration depends on the type of hair and where it’s located. At any given time, about 90% of the hair on your scalp is in the anagen phase.
- Catagen phase: Hair then enters this “transition phase” during which hair stops actively growing. This lasts about three weeks and involves less than 1% of the hairs on your scalp at a time.
- Telogen phase: During this last phase, a hair prepares to shed it is then pushed out of the follicle and falls out. Typically, about 50 and 150 telogen hairs are shed per day. These hairs are then replaced by new growth and the cycle begins again.
Thyroid-related hair loss and hair changes have some characteristic patterns, including:
- Diffuse hair loss/thinning across the whole scalp
- Hair loss that occurs in discrete areas of the scalp, resulting in smooth, circular bald patches
- Loss of body hair from areas other than your head: A unique and characteristic symptom of hypothyroidism is the loss of the hair on the outer edges of your eyebrows
- Changes in your hair’s texture: With hypothyroidism, your hair may become dry or coarse with hyperthyroidism, it can become extra soft and fine
Common Symptoms Of Hyperthyroidism:
- Mood changes, anxiety, restlessness, issues with sleeping
- Pain and swelling in the throat , muscle weakness, menstruation disturbances
Hypothyroidism, the underactive thyroid condition, occurs when the thyroid does not produce enough hormones. Hair loss is a symptom of long-term hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is more common in women than men and is often diagnosed in middle age and later age groups, though it can occur at any age.
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Will Hair Loss Due To Thyroid Grow Back
EGF is another key parameter responsible for the growth of dense hair on the scalp along with the Transformation Growth factor . They play a critical role in the healthy growth and regeneration of hair.
When the androgens function undergoes a significant negative impact, the hair follicles enter shedding and empty phases earlier than the normal time .
It results in male pattern hair loss. Incidentally, the EGF and TGF are controlled by the TR. In most of the cases, the question of if hair loss due to thyroid will grow back may be negative when it comes to EGF.
Hyperthyroidism And Hair Loss
The most common form of hyperthyroidism is an autoimmune disease called Graves disease and its not unusual for people with one autoimmune disease to develop another. This is the likely explanation for hyperthyroid patients developing the autoimmune disease Alopecia areata during which there are small, often circular areas of hair loss. In most cases this does not progress but in severe cases it can cause significant baldness .
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How To Treat Thyroid
If your healthcare provider diagnoses you with a thyroid condition, youll likely be prescribed medication to treat your condition.
For hypothyroidism, your healthcare provider may prescribe a synthetic thyroid hormone such as Levo-T® or Synthroid®. These medications work by bringing your thyroid hormones up to a normal level.
For hyperthyroidism, your healthcare provider may prescribe an anti-thyroid medication such as Tapazole® or propylthiouracil. These medications stop your thyroid gland from producing overly high levels of thyroid hormones.
Depending on your symptoms, treatment for hyperthyroidism may include radioactive iodine and/or beta-blockers. Severe cases of hyperthyroidism are occasionally treated by removing some or all of the thyroid gland in a procedure known as thyroidectomy.
Most of the time, thyroid-related hair loss resolves on its own after you successfully treat the underlying condition. After treating your thyroid condition, it can take several months for your hair to start growing again.
You might be able to speed up this growth using minoxidil, a topical medication that improves blood flow to the scalp. Because thyroid-related hair loss isnt caused by DHT, finasteride isnt effective at treating or preventing this form of hair loss.
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Biology Of Thyroid Hair Loss
It all starts with the brain. Thyroid stimulating hormone is produced by pituiary glad located at the base of our brain. TSH stimulates the thyroid gland to produce thyroxine , and then triiodothyronine . When it comes to hair growth, T4 stimulates hair matrix keratinocyte production and multiplication. Keratinocytes is a major cell type in the outer layer of the skin. In hair growth, keratinocytes play an especially important role, since they help forming hair follicles and help regulate stem cells of the follicle.
Both T3 and T4 also slow down apoptosis the death of keratinocyte cells. This further upholds and supports correct functioning of the hair follicle and healthy hair growth.
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Other Causes Of Hypothyroidism
In some cases, hypothyroidism results from a problem with the pituitary gland, which is at the base of the brain. This gland produces thyroid-stimulating hormone , which tells the thyroid to do its job. If your pituitary gland does not produce enough TSH, levels of thyroid hormones will fall. Other causes of hypothyroidism include temporary inflammation of the thyroid or medications that affect thyroid function.
Treat Your Thyroid Issues
Experiencing unexplained changes in your weight, mood issues, and sensitivities to changing temperatures can be early warning signs that you have developed a thyroid problem. We can use medications and other methods to treat your thyroid issue and improve your health. If you would like to treat your thyroid problems, contact us at the Medical Transformation Center in Louisville, KY to schedule an initial consultation.
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