Signs your thyroid hormones are imbalanced, as per an Ayurvedic doctor

Amid growing concerns over cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other chronic illnesses, we often neglect issues and disorders associated with thyroid. While it may be a small part/gland of our body, thyroid plays an important role in maintaining our overall health.

Read more: 6 early warning signs of thyroid that women often miss

Located in front of the neck, thyroid gland helps produce thyroid hormones that regulate a variety of body functions including our body temperature, heart rate, and more. A lot can go wrong if our thyroid hormones are out of balance.

According to Ayurvedic doctor, Dr. Dixa Bhavsar, "If your thyroid gets imbalanced, all your body functions get affected- metabolism, energy levels, body temperature, fertility, weight gain/loss, periods, hair health, mood (mental health) & heart rate." She recently took to her social media to highlight some of the signs that indicate a thyroid imbalance and may need an immediate check up.

The thyroid helps to control our metabolism. The main function of metabolism is to transform the food we eat into energy so as to help your body function more proficiently.

As per Dr. Bhavsar, "It helps you digest the food you eat, absorb necessary nutrients from it and also provides you energy by metabolising your food." That said, when your endocrine gland does not produce enough hormones (T4 and T3), it slows down the metabolism, leading to decreased energy levels and hence, fatigue.

"Thyroid imbalance can either cause excessive weight loss or weight gain," says Dr. Bhavsar. People suffering with hypothyroidism may find it extremely difficult to maintain a healthy weight. Given that the hormones your thyroid gland releases helps regulate your metabolism and turns food into energy, when your thyroid does not produce sufficient amounts of hormones, your body may fail to burn excess calories, leading to weight gain. That said, a proper diet and regular exercise can help.

Dr. Bhavsar says, "Your thyroid helps in absorption of essential nutrients like iron, calcium, etc that are responsible for hair growth." That said, severe hyper- or hypothyroidism, which means an hormonal imbalance of the thyroid gland, can lead to hair loss.

Read more: Thyroid eye disease: What is it and what are the symptoms?

Dr. Bhavsar also highlights the impact of thyroid imbalance on a woman's menstrual cycle. The production of too much or too little hormones from the thyroid can cause periods to be light, heavy, or irregular. Thyroid diseases can also cause delayed periods for several months - a condition known as amenorrhea. In such scenarios, one must visit the gynaecologist.

When you're suffering with a thyroid imbalance, your body lacks certain hormones, crucial for conceiving. If you have an underactive thyroid, known as hypothyroidism, you are likely to find it more difficult to conceive. Not only does it impact ovulation but it also makes it difficult to carry the fetus to term.

Thyroid hormones help regulate your heart beat too. Dr. Bhavsar stresses on the same. "Thyroid helps in regulating your heart rate as well," she says. Whether you're suffering with hypo- or hyperthyroidism, your heart rate will fluctuate irregularly, either too low or too high, respectively.

Dr. Bhavsar says, "Imbalance in thyroid levels can make you feel stressed, anxious and depressed by increasing the amount of cortisol in your body." Since thyroid hormones impact your energy levels, a low amount of these hormones can lead to sudden mood changes, nervousness, disturbed sleep and more.