While millions of Americans have thyroid disease, over half are unaware of it. Part of the reason why is that the symptoms of thyroid disorders are often mistaken for other health issues and may be ignored or overlooked. Common symptoms of hypothyroidism, which is the name for an underactive thyroid, can include a combination of mental fogginess, depression, weight gain, fatigue, dry skin, hair loss, constipation, and others. Thyroid disorders can affect all systems in the body, and when they are not properly treated, over time they can increase the risk of further health issues such as infertility, osteoporosis, and even cardiovascular disease.

In many cases, to get a full picture of what is going on with your thyroid, a full thyroid panel test needs to be done rather than just the standard thyroid testing, which is often limited to just assessing one of the many thyroid hormones. As hypothyroidism becomes more widespread, lifestyle changes and other treatment methods may help.