Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, along the front of your windpipe. It makes hormones that help control many parts of your metabolism, like how fast your heart beats and how fast you burn calories. Women are more likely to have a problem with their thyroid than men -- about 1 in 8 women are affected. Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) is a condition in which your thyroid gland doesn't produce enough of certain crucial hormones. Hypothyroidism may not cause noticeable symptoms in the early stages. Over time, untreated hypothyroidism can cause a number of health problems, such as obesity, infertility, mental health issues, tingling in arms and legs(peripheral neuropathy) and heart disease. Accurate thyroid function tests are available to diagnose hypothyroidism. Treatment with synthetic thyroid hormone is usually simple, safe and effective once you and your doctor find the right dose for you.
This quiz is intended to be informational. Only your doctor can make an accurate diagnosis after a thorough review of your health status.
1:Have you been experiencing any of these symptoms:
-Fatigue
-Increased sensitivity to cold
-Constipation
-Dry skin
-Weight gain
-Puffy face
-Hoarseness
-Muscle weakness
-Elevated blood cholesterol level
-Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
-Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
-Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods
-Thinning hair
-Slowed heart rate
-Depression
-Impaired memory
-neck swelling(goiter)
-for children and teenagers (Cognitive delays, Short stature, Late development of permanent teeth, Delayed puberty)
2:Is there a history of thyroid disease or hypothyroidism in your family?
3:Do you have an autoimmune disorder such as type 1 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis?
DIAGNOSIS:
It's very important that an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) is diagnosed as soon as possible. Low levels of thyroid-producing hormones, such as triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), can change the way the body processes fat. This can cause high cholesterol and atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries), which can potentially lead to serious heart-related problems, such as angina and a heart attack. Therefore, you should see a doctor and ask for a blood test if you repeatedly have symptoms of an underactive thyroid. Thyroid function test a blood test measuring your hormone levels is the only accurate way to find out whether there's a problem. The test, called a thyroid function test, looks at levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine (T4) in the blood. Doctors may refer to this as "free" T4 (FT4). A high level of TSH and a low level of T4 in the blood could mean you have an underactive thyroid. If your test results show raised TSH but normal T4, you may be at risk of developing an underactive thyroid in the future. Less commonly, a thyroid antibody test may be recommended after a thyroid function test. This is to help diagnose or rule out autoimmune thyroid conditions, such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis. A thyroid antibody test is only likely to be recommended if the doctor suspects you have an autoimmune thyroid condition.