How to Recognize Hypothyroid Disease

Hypothyroid disease is serious. Left untreated it can cause major problems.

You may not always be able to recognize the symptoms. Others may have noticed a change in you. Pay attention to what your friends and family are observing.

Things You'll Need

• health diary
• mirror
• scale
• comb or brush

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Instructions

• 1

  Step one - start a health diary. Keep track of your sleep schedule. Do you find that you are getting more than eight hours sleep and are still not rested? Are you experiencing daytime sleepiness? Do you sometimes take an afternoon nap? All of these should be noted in your diary.

• 2

  Step two - examine your neck. Look at it in a mirror. Does it appear to be thicker? Do you sometimes feel like it is difficult to swallow? Like perhaps there is a lump in your throat? Write these in your health diary.

• 3

  Step three - weight yourself daily. Do you find that you gain weight easily? That you are eating the same amount of food (or even less) and still put on weight. Put this down in your health diary.

• 4

  Step four - examine your comb/brush and counter top. Have you lost hair lately? Does your hair seem thinner? Write it in your health diary.

• 5

  Step five - look over your wardrobe. Do you find yourself wearing more sweaters and jackets? Are you turning up the heat more than others around you? Can you just not seem to get warm enough? Is the electric blanket your best friend? Put this down in your health diary.

• 6

  Step six - examine your diet. Have you had to eat higher fiber foods just to have a bowel movement? Have you had to take more laxatives lately because you feel so very constipated? Write this down in your health diary.

• 7

  Step seven - sit down and really examine your skin. Is it drier than normal? Are your finger and toenails brittle? Put this down in your diary.

• 8

  Step eight - ask your friends and family if you seem more forgetful. More irritable? Seem like sometimes you are in a fog? Write down their observations in your diary.

• 9

  Step nine - take your health diary to the doctor. Talk over the issues in your health diary with them. You may have hypothyroid disease. And the good news, is that it can usually be treated with medication.