Is an underactive thyroid if left untreated harmful?
I have had symptoms of an underactive thyroid for almost 2 years now (tiredness, rapid weight gain, feeling cold and then hot, numb toes and arms etc) is it harmful if left untreated? Also is there any pills I can buy over the counter (in the UK) that can help regulate my thyroid? Thanks
Tagged with: numb toes • pills • rapid weight gain • symptoms of an underactive thyroid • thyroid • tiredness
Filed under: Symptoms Of Underactive Thyroid
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) is a condition in which your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough of certain important hormones.
Women, especially those older than 50, are more likely to have hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism upsets the normal balance of chemical reactions in your body. It seldom causes symptoms in the early stages, but over time, untreated hypothyroidism can cause a number of health problems, such as obesity, joint pain, infertility and heart disease.
The good news is that accurate thyroid function tests are available to diagnose hypothyroidism, and treatment of hypothyroidism with synthetic thyroid hormone is usually simple, safe and effective once the proper dosage is established.
You will need to see a doctor who will determine how much thyroid hormone you will need. This medication is very inexpensive but you will need to be tested by your doctor from time to time.
Yes, its harmful - go to the doc and get checked out!
No, there are no OTC medications.
yes. why suffer? a simple blood test can give a doc enough info to prescribe meds. i take 75mcg of synthroid every day. works great.
It can cause a lot of problems in later life, my mother suffers from it and she has to take quite a lot of pills because she left it so long before getting it sorted, you should really go and see and Doctor about it and get some sort of prescription set up. Sorry if that’s not what you wanted to hear but I am really not sure what else you can do.