Your thyroid could be causing you to gain weight. 20 million American citizens right now are overweight and don’t need to be. It’s because your thyroid is not working properly and you don’t even know it.

The problem is that low thyroid function, also known as hypothyroidism, is difficult to diagnose, and many people in the United States have been misdiagnosed. So their thyroid disorder goes untreated and they continue to gain weight and don’t know why.

One of the easiest ways to find out if you have low thyroid function is to see if you suffer from one or more of the common symptoms associated with the condition and go from there.

So in today’s article we are going to look at three of the most common symptoms that people can experience when they have hyperthyroidism. The most common symptom of low thyroid function is weight gain, so that seems like a good place to start.

low thyroid function and weight gain

The number one symptom of hypothyroidism is unexplained weight gain. This is when you gain weight without making any changes to your diet and lifestyle. When you have low thyroid function, one of the first problems you will have is that your metabolism slows down.

When your metabolism slows down, it means that you can’t process the calories coming into your body as quickly as before. This means that some of these calories are not burned and are instead stored as fat in your body and you slowly begin to gain weight.

This is without you eating more and it’s not your fault. It is your thyroid that is to blame and you most likely have no idea what is going on. Which puts them in the majority because 50% of people with low thyroid function don’t know they have a problem.

So what other symptoms can you suffer with hypothyroidism?

Depression, anxiety and low thyroid function

Many people with hypothyroidism suffer from depression and/or anxiety. One of the reasons why people often get depressed is because of the unnecessary weight gain that we explained above. When people start to gain weight, don’t know why, and then can’t lose that weight, this can lead to a loss of confidence which, in turn, can lead to depression.

Thyroid disorders and depression are innately linked and if you have depression that is not responding to medication then it could be due to a thyroid disorder. When your thyroid is not working properly, it makes less thyroid hormones.

Thyroid hormones are necessary for you to have optimal brain function. When there are fewer thyroid hormones in your body, it results in a loss of cognitive function, a lack of concentration, and big changes in your emotional state.

When your thyroid gland isn’t working right, it can really wreak havoc on your body, including tiredness and fatigue.

Low thyroid function, tiredness and fatigue

If you go to bed at night and wake up the next morning feeling really exhausted and unable to function properly, then it could be a sign that your thyroid is not working well. If you have hypothyroidism, it can lead to a racing pulse, high blood pressure, and constipation that leaves you extremely tired.

So the problem is, if you think you have a thyroid problem, what do you do?