Life has changed fast, but our bodies haven’t caught up. We’re more stressed than ever, running on less sleep, eating food that looks convenient but barely resembles what our grandparents ate. Hormones don’t like chaos. And the thyroid, a tiny butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, really doesn’t like it.And for women especially, hormones are already doing a complicated dance. Puberty, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause. The thyroid often gets dragged into the mess. Autoimmune conditions are also on the rise, and many thyroid disorders are autoimmune in nature. So yes, more awareness helps with diagnosis. But the actual problem is genuinely becoming more common.
Why it often goes unnoticed: Symptoms that get overlooked
Here’s the tricky part. Thyroid symptoms are boring. Not dramatic. Not obvious.You’re tired. But who isn’t? You gain a little weight. Maybe you blame age or stress. Your hair thins, your skin gets dry, your periods change, your mood feels off. None of these scream “thyroid” on their own.So people adjust. They drink more coffee. They push harder at work. They tell themselves they’re lazy or just not disciplined enough.
And then there’s the slow pace of it. Thyroid issues creep in quietly. They don’t knock on the door. They sneak through the back and settle in. You forget what feeling good even felt like. This becomes your new normal.“Before thyroid values in tests become abnormal, patients may experience symptoms that mimic thyroid disease. Common complaints like fatigue, weight gain, hair loss or low mood often appear, but these symptoms are far more frequently linked to stress, nutritional deficiencies, or lifestyle factors than early thyroid disease,” Dr. Subhashish Saha, Chief of Laboratory Operations (West Bengal), Metropolis Healthcare Limited told TOI Health.Something always feels slightly off. Like you’re doing everything right and still losing.
The quiet message the body keeps sending
The thing about thyroid issues is that they’re rarely loud at first. They whisper. They show up as small annoyances, tiny changes you brush off. But the body doesn’t complain without reason.“Thyroid disorders often begin silently, with symptoms such as fatigue, weight changes, mood disturbances, hair thinning, or menstrual irregularities appearing long before TSH, T3, or T4 levels fall outside the normal range. Paying attention to these early signals allows timely screening and prevents long-term complications,” Dr. Smita Hiras Sudke, Regional Chief of Lab, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd told TOI Health.
What happens when it stays unnoticed for too long
The thyroid controls metabolism, but that word doesn’t just mean weight. It’s how every cell in your body uses energy. So when the thyroid is off, nothing runs smoothly.As per a Harvard report, over time, untreated hypothyroidism can slow your heart rate, raise cholesterol, and increase the risk of heart disease. Digestion slows, leading to chronic gut issues. Muscles weaken. Joints ache. The report also says that hyperthyroidism leads to rapid heart rate, frequent bowel movements, even diarrhea, excessive perspiration, weakness, insomnia, irritability and anxiety, increased appetite and weight loss. The longer it goes unnoticed, the more the body adapts in unhealthy ways. It compensates until it can’t anymore. And by the time it’s finally addressed, recovery can take longer.
