Former Love Island star Olivia Buckland suffers with an underactive "which comes with a lot of fatigue and depression". While Irish singer Una Healy is on lifelong medication to manage her Hashimoto's Disease, a condition that affects the thyroid gland.

The thyroid– a butterfly-shaped gland in our necks – is the body’s engine room, producing hormones that regulate every cell, tissue and organ. “Its function is to drive metabolism so more energy can be released, which drives bodies to function,” explains Dr Aamer Khan.

When our thyroid gets out of whack, it wreaks chaos on our health. “It’s like oil in a car – it helps everything run smoothly, but sometimes your engine can get low on lubricant,” Dr Khan adds.

There are two main thyroid conditions. The most common is hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) when the gland doesn’t produce enough of the hormone thyroxine. Common symptoms are fatigue, low concentration and weight gain. At the other end of the scale is hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid), characterised by weight loss, anxiety, insomnia and irritability.

Thyroid issues affect women eight to 10 times more than men. “That’s likely due to women’s hormone cycles – the thyroid produces a master hormone, so it’s affected by changes in other hormones,” says Dr Khan. “During pregnancy the immune system is stressed, so the thyroid can become exhausted.”

Here are some lesser-known horrors that an out-of-kilter thyroid could possibly be responsible for…

SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

An underactive thyroid can cause low mood and “sufferers can become depressed and withdrawn,” says Dr Khan.
An overactive thyroid can lead to anxiety and nervousness. “In very severe cases, this can cause psychosis,” he adds. “People can get hyper manic and lose touch with reality.”

SWOLLEN FACE

Hypothyroidism can cause a puffy face, particularly around the eyes and cheekbones. “It’s because the fat cells aren’t burning the fat, the body is slowing down and so they retain fluid,” explains Dr Khan. This side effect is more likely in later stages if the condition goes undetected.

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HAIR LOSS

Your hair growth is dependent on energy, says Dr Khan. Both hyper and hypothyroidism can make it sparse – but it will normally regrow with medication.

SKIN PROBLEMS

When thyroid function is impaired – both under and overactive – the skin can become very dry and itchy, while skin conditions related to immunity, like eczema, are exacerbated. Hyperthyroidism can also increase blood flow, causing the skin to flush (your palms can even turn red), while hypothyroidism leaves you pale and washed out.

BULGING EYES

In certain types of hyperthyroidism there’s an increase in the laying down of excess fat cells behind the eyes, causing them to be pushed forwards in the eye sockets, Dr Khan explains. “The same thing happens when you’re scared, so sufferers appear constantly startled,” he says.

IRREGULAR PERIODS

California’s Loma Linda University tracked the diets of 800 people and their thyroid stimulating hormone levels – very high levels indicate an under-performing thyroid. TSH was four times higher in those who ate two daily servings of soy food compared with those who ate none. Dr Khan says soy products inhibit thyroid function, so can make an underactive thyroid worse.

URGE TO PEE

A frequent need to urinate is common with hyperthyroidism, when your metabolism has speeded up. There’s often a persistent thirst, and diarrhoea, too.

LIVER PROBLEMS

An underactive thyroid can lead to a fatty liver – the most common cause outside of alcohol issues – due to slowed metabolism and an increase of fat in the body. It can also affect the balance between good and bad cholesterol, further worsening liver health.

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FLUCTUATING TEMPERATURES

The thyroid is our very own internal thermostat. “It’s driving the release of energy within the fat cells so if it’s underactive you feel the cold; if it’s overactive you feel constantly hot,” explains Dr Khan.

FOOD INTOLERANCES

“Thyroid problems are related to immunoreactivity, so you have an increased risk of sensitivity to certain foods,” says Dr Khan. “This can lead to gluten or lactose intolerances, for example.”

CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY

“Your thyroid is a very active organ and very sensitive, picking up materials all the time from your blood and using them,” says Dr Khan. “Exposure to environmental toxins, like pesticides, herbicides and insecticides, will accumulate quicker than in other organs.” Extreme levels of fluoride (not really an issue in this country) can affect thyroid function, too, as can the Teflon in pans. It’s banned these days, but old ones need chucking out.

BEWARE OF TOO MUCH SOY

California’s Loma Linda University tracked the diets of 800 people and their thyroid stimulating hormone levels – very high levels indicate an under-performing thyroid. TSH was four times higher in those who ate two daily servings of soy food compared with those who ate none. Dr Khan says soy products inhibit thyroid function, so can make an underactive thyroid worse.

SEEK ADVICE

“Ask your GP for a blood test if you notice persistent changes,” says Dr Khan. For an underactive thyroid levothyroxine will replace the missing thyroxine hormones. Regular blood tests will ensure you’re on the right dose for normal thyroid function. The medication is for life and patients may need to increase their dose over time. Overactive thyroids are often treated with a medication called thionamides, that can be reduced over time, or with a radioactive iodine treatment.

HOW ELSE CAN I HELP MY THYROID?

Avoid stress: “More stress means more cortisol in your body and very high levels can lead to adrenal exhaustion. This means you’ll be producing more of a hormone called reverse T3, which can result in an underactive thyroid,” says Dr Khan.

Eat well: A healthy, balanced diet is important, avoiding food grown with pesticides. Avoid soya, eat lots of iodine-rich leafy vegetables and control sugar intake.

DR AAMER KHAN IS CO-FOUNDER OF HARLEYSTREETSKINCLINIC.COM

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