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Thyroid Disease Symptoms

Before a discussion of thyroid disease, symptoms and causes, it is necessary to understand what the thyroid gland is and what its role in the body is. The thyroid gland is located on the front of the neck below the Adam's apple and produces the thyroid hormones L-thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothronine (T3) under the control of the thyroide stimulating hormone (TSH) (also known as thyrotropin). These two hormones, T3 and T4 play an important role in regulating the body's temperature, use of other hormones and vitamins, and growth.

Thyroid Disease Symptoms

The commonly encountered thyroid diseases and symptoms are:

Hypothyroidism (caused by under-production of thyroid hormones)

The main symptoms are:

In Infants: The infant suffering from hypothyroidism exhibits the following signs and symptoms:

• Lethargy
• Falling asleep during feeding
• Fails to thrive and is constipated
• Prominent abdomen
• Umbilical hernia is often present
• Broad, puffy face
• Flat nose and thickened lips and nostrils
• Tongue is large and protrudes
• Skin is dry, thick and sallow
• Dark hair
• Wide-set eyes
• Hoarseness while crying

In Children: In older children, the lack is manifested as juvenile hypothyroidism, also known as juvenile myxodema, in which dwarfism is a prominent feature. The child shows the following signs and symptoms:

• short stature
• plump with supra-clavicular pads of fat
• skeletal proportions are infantile
• retarded skeletal development              

In Adults: In adults, hypothyroidism is known as myxodema and is much more common in women than in men. The following symptoms are exhibited in adult hypothyroidism:

• Tiredness
• Lethargy
• Intolerance of cold
• Stiffness and aching of muscles
• Deafness
• Menorrhagia
• Mental disturbances with hallucinations
• Puffy eyelids
• Dry, coarse skin
• Sweating is absent
• Body hair is sparse and short
• Croaky voice
• Poor memory

Hyperthyroidism (caused by over-production of thyroid hormones)

The following thyroid diseases/symptoms are attributed to over-production of the thyroid hormones by the thyroid:

Graves' Disease: According to the Mayo Clinic, which has many years of experience with this condition, the patient complains of shortness of breath, tiredness, palpitations, nervousness, anxiety,  muscular weakness, tremors of the hands, thyroidal enlargement and protruding eyeballs, intolerance of heat, increased appetite despite weight loss and odema of the ankles. The patient is tense, talkative and restless, has a rapid pulse that does not slow during sleep. Less common features of Grave's Disease are clubbing of the fingers.

Congenital Thyrotoxicosis: Congenital Thyrotoxicosis in the fetus may be suspected if the fetal heart rate is unduly rapid and if the mother has been treated in the past for hyperthyroidism. At birth the baby is emaciated and hyper-kinetic and may have goiter and diarrhea.

Metastatic Thyroid Carcinoma: Most of the patients with metastatic thyroid carcinoma develop a nodule or more diffuse enlargement of the gland which feels firm or hard. Complaints of choking, tightness, dysphagia, dysponea, laryngeal palsy with hoarseness of voice  are common.

Goiter: The main symptoms exhibited in cases of simple goiter are:

• Swelling in the neck due to the enlarged thyroid gland
• Displacement of trachea that causes cough, dyspnoea
• Dysphagia (difficulty in eating)
• Hoarse voice
• Shortness of breath
• Fullness in the neck

These are some of the main thyroid disease symptoms that help a physician to diagnose various thyroid abnormalities.