Medically reviewed by Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Shera.
A 25-year-old is supposed to be healthy but Maha was constantly tired. There was constant fatigue, she felt utterly drained, incapacitated, and hollowed out. She didn’t know how to describe this feeling. She had recently gotten engaged, doing her Masters – good things were happening in her life but she could hardly function. As soon as she’d wake up she’d want to go back to sleep. When people asked If she enjoyed weekends, she clearly remember saying “Of course, because that’s when I get to be in bed all day.” Her family started calling her a sloth jokingly, and she didn’t find that amusing.
Common Symptoms of Thyroid
Maha attributed her sudden weight gain to her sleeping habits and not being physically active. She started losing hair but it happened quite often so she blamed it on the weather. To avoid being depressed she tried sleeping most of the time. Not realizing a depressed mood is one of the symptoms. Her friends ended up insisting visiting a doctor to figure out why she was feeling tired and sleepy all the time.
Finally Visited a Doctor
After visiting a couple of doctors and after some additional tests, Maha finally learned that her TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) level was hovering in the mid-thirties. She received her diagnosis of insufficient thyroid function called hypothyroidism. After taking a bit of levothyroxine, she felt like a new person!
She could finally taste the highs of life again. She was finally able to function normally. Maha was in fact lucky to be diagnosed before any lasting damage happened.
There’s no known cause..
Apparently no known cause on why people develop hypothyroidism. The medical community agrees that most cases are idiopathic which means without a known cause.
People who get diagnosed with hypothyroidism can’t change their past but they can focus on their future by taking levothyroxine every day on empty stomach.
Basic risk factors
Although anyone can develop hypothyroidism but the following people are at an increased risk like women above 60, anyone with a family history of thyroid disease, diabetic patients, and patients undergoing radiation to the neck or upper chest and post-partum.
Let’s read some complications
When Hypothyroidism isn’t treated, it can lead to a number of health issues such as:
Heart problems – The bad cholesterol (LDL) can rise in people with the underactive thyroid gland.
Goitre – When the thyroid releases excess hormones, it makes the gland large which is a condition known as goitre.
Mental health issues – It is known that hypothyroidism can slow down mental functioning.
Myxedema – This condition is rare but it’s life-threatening and occurs in undiagnosed hypothyroidism.
Infertility – Undiagnosed hypothyroidism can lead to infertility.
Birth defects – Hypothyroidism patients are at increased risk of having babies with birth defects.
Denouement
Hypothyroidism can happen at any age, be it young or old. So if you ever feel tired for no reason like Maha did, or if you have any of the symptoms, get your thyroid checked. As the famous saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
