Thyroid Disorders

Fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, dry skin, hair thinning or loss, constipation, slow heart rate, low mood, and menstrual changes in women. Symptoms are gradual and easily blamed on age, stress, or being busy. A simple TSH blood test is definitive — worth checking if these symptoms persist, especially in women over 30 or with a family history.

Weight loss despite eating normally, fast or irregular heartbeat, tremor, sweating, heat intolerance, anxiety, insomnia, and menstrual changes. Sometimes a visible neck swelling (goitre) or eye changes. It's less common than underactive thyroid but potentially more urgent — untreated hyperthyroidism can cause heart problems.

For most healthy adults, thyroid testing isn't routine unless symptoms suggest it. If you have symptoms, family history, or a known thyroid condition, TSH is checked initially and then every 6-12 months once stable. Pregnancy needs earlier and more frequent thyroid testing — untreated hypothyroidism affects both mother and baby.

In most cases of hypothyroidism (especially from Hashimoto's, the most common cause), yes — the thyroid gland has been damaged and won't recover. The medicine (usually levothyroxine) replaces what the gland can't make. It's safe, taken as one tablet in the morning on an empty stomach, and doesn't need to be increased with age unless the thyroid gets more sluggish. Don't stop on your own — symptoms will return.

Yes — both underactive and overactive thyroid can affect menstrual cycles, ovulation, and pregnancy. Poorly controlled thyroid raises the risk of miscarriage and complications. Anyone trying to conceive with known thyroid issues should have TSH optimised (usually under 2.5 mIU/L when planning pregnancy). Some women are diagnosed with thyroid problems for the first time during fertility workups.