How a thyroid gland can become underactive

Undiagnosed for years, Mick Hucknall was baffled as to why he felt tired, down, and had noticeably been putting on weight.

“The specialist I saw told me I’d probably had [an underactive thyroid] since 1993. I had no idea,” Hucknall revealed in an interview back in 2014.

“I had aching joints and was tired all the time, and had weight gain,” the musician explained, adding that he would “feel and look all puffy”.

In the enlightening interview with the Mirror, Hucknall said: “I was getting more and more bloated and would wake up so confused, thinking, ‘Did I eat a lot last night or something?'”

Reflecting on the “side effects” of hypothyroidism, Hucknall said he experienced mood swings, aching joints, and fatigue.

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“Depression is also connected to the underactive thyroid as the illness prolongs. You can even get certain forms of cancers,” Hucknall added.

What the 62-year-old would have discovered is that there is no way to prevent an underactive thyroid from developing, according to the latest scientific research.

The NHS says: “Most cases are caused either by the immune system attacking the thyroid gland and damaging it.

“Or by damage to the thyroid that occurs during some treatments for an overactive thyroid or thyroid cancer.”

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Symptoms can range from dry and scaly skin to brittle hair and a loss of libido.

An underactive thyroid can lead to:

• Tiredness
• Being sensitive to cold
• Weight gain
• Constipation
• Depression
• Slow movements and thoughts
• Muscle aches and weakness
• Muscle cramps
• Dry and scaly skin
• Brittle hair and nails
• Loss of libido (sex drive)
• Pain, numbness and a tingling sensation in the hand and fingers (carpal tunnel syndrome)
• Irregular periods or heavy periods.

When the condition is not treated, a person can develop:

• A low-pitched and hoarse voice
• A puffy-looking face
• Thinned or partly missing eyebrows
• A slow heart rate
• Hearing loss
• Anaemia.

People diagnosed with an underactive thyroid are typically prescribed levothyroxine.

The daily hormone replacement tablet eventually leads to the dissolution of symptoms.

“Some people start to feel better soon after beginning treatment,” the NHS says. “While others do not notice an improvement in their symptoms for several months.”

Mick Hucknall features on James Martin’s Saturday Morning on May 27, 2023, at 9.25am.

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