A condition suffered by 'one in 20' people causes tiredness and weight gain but often goes undiagnosed, a new study has found. Thyroid conditions affect around one in 20 people in the UK and according to the University of Aberdeen underactive or overactive thyroid problems can have serious effects on people’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
Women are six times more likely to suffer from the condition than men, as reported by Manchester Evening News. Aberdeen academics have found that it takes an average of four-and-a-half years for a thyroid condition to be diagnosed, with this taking considerably longer for patients with hypothyroidism (overactive thyroid).
In most cases - almost two thirds of the almost 1,200 respondents to the study - it took multiple appointments and worsening symptoms before a diagnosis was made. Below is a list of the symptoms you need to know as diagnosis is often ‘only the start of a lengthy journey for the majority of thyroid disease patients’, says the university.
