Glossary On Symptoms

The symptoms of hypothyroidism are often so subtle that they go unnoticed especially in the initial stages. People often mistake these for symptoms of normal aging. Occasionally, some patients may have no symptoms at all. However, most patients have a varying combination of the symptoms mentioned here - the severity of symptoms may depend on the duration of the illness and its gravity.

Fatigue, weakness
Weight gain
Intolerance to cold
Depression
Irritability, mood instability
Loss of memory
Constipation
Excessive sleepiness
Dry and coarse hair, loss of hair
Dry, rough and pale skin
Abnormal menstrual cycles - Heavy or irregular menstrual periods
Decreased libido
Muscle cramps
Decreased sweating
Goiter

As the disease progresses, the following symptoms may be noticed:

Puffiness of face, hands and feet
Thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows
Slow speech
Hoarseness of voice
Low basal body temperature
Bradycardia (heart rate of less than sixty beats per minute)
Shallow and slow respiration
Difficulty in swallowing
Thickening of the skin
Myxedema - marked by dry skin and swellings around lips and nose as well as mental deterioration

Hypothyroidism in children can have a serious impact on the development of the child and can present as follows: