What are the Symptoms of Hypothyroidism?

Featuring Dr. Richard Bebb, MD, ABIM, FRCPC, Endocrinologist

Duration: 1 minute, 14 seconds

Symptoms of an underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism, are a long list.

At the top of the list is fatigue, feeling tired. Not uncommonly, patients start to feel cold. They're more sensitive to the cold and would tend to be the first person in the house to turn the heat up.

They can gain weight. Their hair can start to fall out. Dry skin. Constipation. With women, they may notice that their periods are becoming heavier or, in fact, irregular. Men can notice, sometimes, difficulty in erectile function.

There's also an effect with psychological or psychiatric change. Mild thyroid deficiency can look a whole lot like depression. People become not motivated to do things, depressive in mood. It's often a very difficult thing to tell apart mild depression from an underactive thyroid. Not just for patients, but for physicians as well.

If you have any further questions on the diagnosis or treatment of thyroid deficiency, do check with your primary care practitioner.

Presenter: Dr. Richard Bebb, Endocrinologist, Victoria, BC

Local Practitioners: Endocrinologist