Why your sudden weight gain, 'double chin' and low mood might not just be the fallout from post-menopause or 'middle-age spread'... it could be much more serious. But there IS a simple cure

Completely out of character, Jim Harwood found himself intensely stressed and angry about even the most trivial of things.Someone pushing a trolley in front of him in the supermarket or a minor error by a work colleague would trigger a harshly worded outburst which he would immediately regret.At the same time, the razor-sharp focus and intense concentration he had always relied on as a computer programmer was starting to desert him. He struggled to keep his mind on the job, to remember names, to control his words and actions.The 73-year-old from Pinner in north-west London says: ‘I just didn’t know what was happening to me. I had a level of irritability – of stress and anxiety – that I just couldn’t explain.’As the symptoms got worse he considered any number of possibilities – from the onset of dementia to even mad cow disease. One thing he never imagined, however, was that his problems were caused by his thyroid.‘It just wasn’t something I suspected,’ he says.Yet experts have told The Mail on Sunday that psychological disturbances are a massively under-recognised and misdiagnosed symptom of hypothyroidism – a condition suffered by around 1.4 million people across the UK.And they have called on doctors to more routinely offer thyroid tests to patients struggling with anxiety and depression – to establish whether or not an underactive thyroid could be to blame. Completely out of character, Jim Harwood found himself intensely stressed and angry about even the most trivial of thingsKristien Boelaert, professor of endocrinology at the University of Birmingham and a trustee of the British Thyroid Foundation, says: ‘Hypothyroidism often goes undiagnosed. So if people go to their GP with anxiety or depression – especially if they are showing any of the other more commonly recognised physical symptoms – then doctors should be prepared to suggest tests for thyroid function.’So how can you know whether you have hypothyroidism? And how can it be treated?First, it’s important to explain what exactly is the thyroid. The thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped organ found in the neck just in front of the voice box, that produces crucial hormones needed to keep the body healthy.In hypothyroidism, levels of these hormones are too low, which can lead to a wide range of physical symptoms including tiredness, weight gain, feeling cold, constipation, dry or thinning hair, muscle weakness, aches, a hoarse voice and slowed speech and movement.However, because receptors for thyroid hormones are also found in the brain, research shows that hypothyroidism can even affect how people think and feel.Lyn Mynott, chief executive of the charity Thyroid UK, says: ‘It’s not as widely recognised, but if levels of thyroid hormones are low it can cause psychological issues. A lot of people can suffer these symptoms for a long time without realising they’re suffering from a thyroid disorder.’Hypothyroidism affects around 2 per cent of the population and is more common in women and older people, affecting around 5 per cent of 60-year-olds and 10 per cent of the over-80s.Mrs Mynott says thyroid-related psychological issues are often misdiagnosed – especially in middle-aged women.She adds: ‘They might think the problems they’re suffering are a product of their busy, stressful lives. If they’re older, they might believe it’s the start of dementia.‘But even when they do they seek help, doctors often miss the real cause, as they don’t think to do thyroid tests.‘As a result, patients might be prescribed an antidepressant or told to reduce their stress. But if the cause is actually hypothyroidism, these won’t help or address the root of the problem.’Experts say that, undiagnosed, hypothyroidism can cause severe heart problems, as insufficient thyroid hormone can slow the heart rate, raise blood pressure and increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood. For women, the condition can also disrupt ovulation, alter menstrual cycles and increase the risk of miscarriage. Jim with his wife Pam. The 73-year-old from Pinner in north-west London says: ‘I had a level of irritability – of stress and anxiety – that I just couldn’t explain’In the most severe cases, long-term untreated hypothyroidism can cause a myxoedema coma – a rare but life-threatening condition that causes vital organs to shut down.For Mr Harwood, doctors only realised his psychological problems were linked to his thyroid when he later developed a range of physical symptoms.He says: ‘I put on weight – an extra 9kg [20lb] – and found myself becoming profoundly cold. Even in a heated office I needed to wear a thermal vest under a shirt and sweater.‘The fatigue was crippling. I could barely function.’He also developed a swollen neck – another common sign of thyroid disorder.Eventually he was prescribed artificial thyroid hormones – daily tablets that have almost entirely eradicated his symptoms.He says: ‘It was only after the physical symptoms appeared that it become clear that hypothyroidism was the cause.‘Once I started on the drugs, my mood completely lifted.‘It was really something. I just wish it hadn’t taken so long.’