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In today’s fast-paced and stressful life, people often dismiss unnecessary irritability, restless nights, insomnia and sudden increase in heart rate as just work pressure or depression. Many times people start taking sleeping pills or visit psychiatrists for its treatment, but are unable to reach the real root. Senior endocrinologists and medical experts say that these sudden changes in mood are not just a product of the mind, but can be a direct result of imbalance in the small butterfly-shaped thyroid gland present in the lower part of our neck. The hormones released from the thyroid gland directly control our body’s metabolism, neurotransmitters and functioning of the central nervous system. Whenever there is even a slight decrease or excess in the secretion of these hormones, its first and most direct impact falls on our mental health and nature.
The thyroid gland produces two important hormones—thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which act on the instructions of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) released by the pituitary gland. These hormones catalyze the production and balance of neurochemicals such as serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline in the brain, which regulate our mood, happiness, sleep and energy. When thyroid hormone levels in the bloodstream are disturbed, the brain’s neurotransmitter receptors cannot receive signals properly. As a result, the person starts feeling extreme restlessness, panic attacks, crying unnecessarily or unbearable irritability even without any external reason. In medical science, it is called ‘Thyroid-Induced Mood Disorders’, which can be treated not by depression medicines but by bringing the hormones back to normal levels.
When the thyroid gland starts secreting T3 and T4 hormones in excess quantity, this condition is called ‘Hyperthyroidism’. In this, the entire metabolism of the body goes into overdrive or super-fast mode. Its major psychological and neurological symptoms include extreme restlessness and tremors, where the patient is constantly afraid of something happening and his hands and legs start trembling. Along with this, a serious problem of chronic insomnia arises; The brain remains so hyperactive that despite being tired, the person has to spend the night tossing and turning in bed. Its main signs are anger over conversation, impatience and pulse rate reaching above 100 (tachycardia). If you suddenly wake up at night drenched in sweat and nervous and your mood remains explosive throughout the day, then it can be a strong alarm of overactive thyroid.
On the contrary, when the thyroid gland is not able to produce enough hormones as per the body’s needs, it is called ‘Hypothyroidism’. In this, the body’s metabolism becomes extremely slow, which has a slow and heavy effect on the brain. Its main symptoms include chronic depression and persistent sadness, where the patient has no interest in doing anything and becomes socially isolated. Along with this, the problem of brain fog i.e. blurred thinking, weakness in memory and forgetting things becomes common. Even after sleeping for 8 to 10 hours a day, one feels extreme fatigue, lethargy and heaviness in the muscles. Hypothyroidism patients often become irritable because their body is unable to keep pace with the brain’s instructions and they themselves become frustrated with their slow pace.
According to medical studies, the risk of thyroid disorders is found to be 5 to 8 times higher in women than in men. Fluctuations of hormones like estrogen and progesterone in women’s body directly affect thyroid function. There are drastic changes in the hormonal system of women during puberty, pregnancy, postpartum thyroiditis and menopause. Often, the real culprit behind postpartum depression or mood swings seen in women during menopause is a malfunction in the functioning of the thyroid gland. Therefore, if a woman notices mood swings along with irregular periods, hair fall in clumps, sudden weight gain or loss and swelling on the face, she should be alerted immediately.
If you or any member of your family is constantly struggling with irritability, anxiety and insomnia and is not getting relief even after psychological counseling or changing lifestyle, then first of all get a complete Thyroid Profile test done from an authorized pathology lab:
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TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone): This is the primary screening test. If TSH levels are much higher than normal (0.4 to 4.0 mIU/L), this is a sign of hypothyroidism; If TSH is too low, it indicates hyperthyroidism.
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Free T3 and Free T4: This test is very important to measure the exact level of active hormones in the blood.
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Anti-TPO Antibody Test: This is done to rule out autoimmune thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Graves’ disease, which are major causes of mood disorders.
Anxiety and lack of sleep caused by thyroid imbalance can be completely cured provided medical intervention is done at the right time. If hypothyroidism is found, doctors may prescribe synthetic thyroxine hormone pills (such as levothyroxine) to be taken in the morning on an empty stomach, which will return mood and energy levels to normal within a few weeks. For hyperthyroidism, anti-thyroid drugs and beta-blockers are given which immediately calm down the heartbeat and nervousness. Along with this, include a balanced diet containing selenium, zinc and iodine in your daily routine, limit the intake of caffeine and processed sugar and practice pranayam (like Anulom-Vilom and Ujjayi Pranayam) for 20 to 30 minutes daily. Never increase or decrease the dosage of the medicine yourself and keep reviewing your test reports with an endocrinologist every three to six months.