5 Signs Your Thyroid May Need Attention
Feeling constantly tired, foggy, or noticing unexplained changes in your weight can be frustrating—especially when nothing seems to help. While many factors can affect your energy and wellbeing, one often-overlooked cause is your thyroid.
The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland in the neck that plays a major role in regulating metabolism, energy production, mood, body temperature, and more. When it isn’t functioning properly, it can create symptoms that are easy to dismiss or blame on stress and a busy lifestyle.
According to the Australian Thyroid Foundation, 60,000 new cases of thyroid disorder are diagnosed each year in Australia—making thyroid health an important topic for many Australians.
Here are five common signs your thyroid may need attention.
1. Constant Fatigue Even After Rest
If you’re getting enough sleep but still waking up exhausted or feeling drained throughout the day, your thyroid could be contributing.
An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can slow down many body processes, leaving you feeling sluggish, heavy, and low on energy.
I find in clinic, when a client describes a fatigue along the lines of: some days I have energy and other days I don’t, or I get wiped out easily and can take days to recover… these are red flags for thyroid dysfunction.
2. Unexpected Weight Gain or Loss
Unexplained weight changes can sometimes point to thyroid imbalance.
Weight gain may occur when the thyroid is underactive and metabolism slows down.
Weight loss may happen when the thyroid is overactive (hyperthyroidism), causing the body to burn energy faster than usual.
If your weight is changing despite no major changes to diet or exercise, it may be worth investigating.
This is where perimenopause and menopause crosses over with thyroid dysfunction. Working out what is contributing to what is essential.
3. Mood Changes
Your thyroid doesn’t just influence the body—it also affects the brain.
When thyroid hormones are out of balance, some people experience:
Anxiety
Low mood
Irritability
Difficulty concentrating
Brain fog
Because these symptoms often overlap with stress or burnout, thyroid issues can sometimes go unnoticed.
4. Hair Thinning or Dry Skin
Changes in hair, skin, and nails may be another clue.
A sluggish thyroid can reduce skin turnover and affect hair growth cycles, leading to:
Dry or flaky skin
Brittle nails
Hair thinning or excess shedding
Coarse or dull hair texture
5. Feeling Unusually Cold or Hot
If you constantly feel colder than everyone else—or unusually warm and sweaty—your thyroid may be affecting how your body regulates temperature.
Underactive thyroid: Often linked with feeling cold easily
Overactive thyroid: Can cause heat intolerance and excessive sweating
When there’s long term, low grade inflammation, your temperatures can swing.. this is important to identify.
Common Thyroid Blood Tests
A doctor may recommend blood tests such as:
TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) – often the first screening test, sometimes the only one that’s done
T4 (Thyroxine) – an actual thyroid hormone, but still only ¼ of the thyroid picture
This is a big reason why thyroid dysfunction can go undetected, because only ¼ of the picture has been looked at.
Getting the right testing and looking at the whole picture gives us a significantly better idea of what potentially may be going on with the thyroid.
Is it a signalling problem, is it a hormone production problem, is it a conversion problem, is it a liver, muscle or stress problem… these all require a different line of treatment.
Lifestyle Support for Thyroid Health
General lifestyle habits can support overall wellbeing and take pressure off the thyroid and immune system, which are all crucial to preserving the gland:
Prioritise Sleep
Aim for consistent sleep routines and quality rest. If there’s nothing else you fix about your health, fixing your sleep is essential.
Focus on Nutrition
A varied diet offering all the cofactors we need for thyroid hormone production and conversion is important as the thyroid and its enzymes are highly nutrient dependant.
Manage Stress
Chronic stress can affect hormones and energy levels and is a large contributor to thyroid dysfunction.
Movement, mindfulness, and scheduling time to rest and digest is an essential part of healing.
Stay Active
Regular movement supports metabolism, mood, and energy, but the right type of exercise matters.
Gentle to moderate activities such as walking, strength training, Pilates, yoga, swimming, or cycling can help regulate stress hormones, improve circulation, and support healthy energy production without overloading the body. Consistent movement also helps improve sleep, stabilise mood, and maintain muscle mass, all of which can be valuable for supporting overall thyroid health.
Final Thoughts
Your thyroid may be small, but it has a powerful effect on how you feel every day. Recognising the signs early can help you get answers sooner and feel your best again.
If these symptoms feel familiar, get in touch, getting the right testing will tell us what course of action we need to take and where the problem is.
Natasha Gedrim (BHSc Naturopathy)
Hormone and Thyroid Naturopath
