CREEPING WEIGHT GAIN & PUFFY FACE
COULD BE: An under-active thyroid gland.
The thyroid gland (situated in the neck) is responsible for controlling metabolism through the release of certain hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine) — these influence heart rate and body temperature and help convert food into energy.
Symptoms include brittle hair and nails, little energy, dry skin and a tendency to feel cold. If your thyroid is not functioning properly, your body can produce too much of a gel-like substance, called mucopolysaccharides, which will make you puffy (most noticeable around the face).
WHO'S AT RISK? Women are ten times more likely to develop this than men; most often it strikes after pregnancy or the menopause. Poor nutrition can affect your thyroid gland, says the support group Thyroid UK.
More commonly, it’s linked to the immune system attacking the thyroid gland. It tends to run in families, says Dr Mark Vanderpump, an endocrinologist at the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust, in London.
‘You may be born with a susceptibility and then meet something in the environment such as a virus, stress or pregnancy which triggers it,’ he explains.
WEIGHT-LOSS SOLUTION: Ask your GP for a blood test. If you are found to have a sluggish thyroid (hypothyroidism) you may be prescribed levothyroxine (a synthetic version of the hormone thyroxine).
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