Underactive thyroid
Many symptoms of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) arethe same asthose of other conditions, so it can easily be confused for something else.
Symptomsusually develop slowly and you may not realise you have a medical problem for several years.
Common symptoms include:
Elderly people with an underactive thyroid may develop memory problems and depression. Children may experience slower growth and development. Teenagers may start puberty earlier than normal.
If you have any of these symptoms, see your GP and ask to be tested for an underactive thyroid.
It's unlikely that you'd have many of the later symptoms of an underactive thyroid, because the condition is often identified before more serious symptoms appear.
Later symptoms of an underactive thyroidinclude:
An underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) is where your thyroid gland doesn't produce enough hormones.
Read more about the symptoms of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), including tiredness, weight gain, depression and increased sensitivity to cold.
Read about the causes of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), including the immune system attacking the thyroid gland and previous thyroid treatment.
Read about the importance of correctly diagnosing an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) using a specialised type of blood test called a thyroid function test.
Read about how an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) is treated. The first line treatment is a daily hormone replacement tablet called levothyroxine.
Read about the complications of an untreated underactive thyroid, including heart problems, goitre and pregnancy-related complications.