Symptoms can vary widely for people with high TSH levels. TSH is short for thyroid stimulating hormone, which is released by the pituitary gland and then stimulates the thyroid to create T3 and T4, the hormones that control metabolism.
Here are five symptoms someone with high TSH levels may experience:
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1. Weight gain
Weight gain is one of the first symptoms of high TSH levels. It can often be overlooked because people simply link it to getting older, but this weight gain can be attributed to a lower metabolism and the retention of fluids.
2. Difficulty processing thoughts
Dana Trebtini,
who writes at Hypothyroid Mom, describes the difficulty of processing thoughts due to high TSH levels as "brain fog." She explains that when a person forgets or has trouble remembering something, the brain's neurotransmitters are not firing or connecting correctly.
Dr. Marc Ryan says at Hashimoto’s Healing that the thyroid hormone is an anti-inflammatory, so when there's not enough of it, the inflammation in the brain can cause cognitive issues and degeneration of brain function.
3. Changes in the skin and hair
Dry or coarse hair and hair loss could be the result of
high TSH levels, according to Endocrine Web. Additionally, a person’s skin may become pale, scaly, and dry.
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4. Depression
"An underactive thyroid can lead to progressive loss of interest and initiative, slowing of mental processes, poor memory for recent events, fading of the personality's color and vivacity, general intellectual deterioration, depression with a paranoid flavor, and eventually, if not checked, to dementia and permanent harmful effects on the brain,"
says the Thyroid Foundation of Canada.
5. Sensitivity to cold
According to Livestrong, the body temperature is lower when the thyroid gland is underactive. Since high TSH levels lead to an underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism, someone experiencing the condition may be more sensitive to cold.
Talk to your doctor about getting your thyroid checked if you have any of the symptoms of high TSH levels.
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