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How thyroid Disorder Affects a Woman’s Body
Health Facts…
By Rehanna Ramsay
Kaieteur News – Approximately 1 in 8 women will be affected by a thyroid condition at some point in their lives. The risk for women is about 10 times higher than for men. One reason for this is that thyroid disorders are often triggered by autoimmune responses, which happen when the body’s immune system starts to attack its own cells. Medical research experts still don’t understand what causes these responses, but they e do know that autoimmune conditions are more common in women than in men.
Thyroid Disorder Affects a Woman’s Body
Another reason for the prevalence of thyroid disorders in women is that there is interplay between thyroid hormones and the hormones that fluctuate during the menstrual cycle. Thyroid problems can happen at any time but they are especially common in women during and after the menopause when hormone levels are changing.
The functions of the thyroid gland have much to do with a woman’s reproductive system, particularly if the thyroid is overactive or underactive. Thyroid problems occurs when the thyroid makes too much hormone (hyperthyroidism) or too little hormone (hypothyroidism). This causes metabolism and heart rate to speed up or slow down. Autoimmune diseases, such as Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s disease, are the most common cause of thyroid problems.
Women are more likely than men to have thyroid diseases, especially right after pregnancy and after menopause. Some women may confuse the symptoms of thyroid disorders with the effects of the menopause, which can prevent them from seeking treatment.
The thyroid produces thyroid hormone, which controls many activities in your body, including how fast you burn calories and how fast your heart beats. Diseases of the thyroid cause it to make either too much or too little of the hormone. Depending on how much or how little hormone the thyroid makes, a person may symptoms often feel restless or tired, or may lose or gain weight. Your weight has changed significantly, even though your habits remain the same. These are actually symptoms that your Thyroid may be out of whack.
Thyroid disorders can cause puberty and menstruation to occur abnormally early or late. In addition, abnormally high or low levels of thyroid hormone can cause very light or very heavy menstrual periods, very irregular menstrual periods, or absent menstrual periods (a condition called amenorrhea).
Reproduction: An overactive or underactive thyroid may also affect ovulation. This is the release of an egg for fertilization. Thyroid disorders may prevent ovulation from occurring at all. In addition, the ovaries are at an increased risk for cyst development if the woman has an underactive thyroid (hypothyroid). Severe hypothyroidism can actually cause milk production in the breast, while preventing ovulation.
Pregnancy and postpartum: Thyroid disorders during pregnancy can harm the fetus and may lead to thyroid problems in the mother after birth, such as postpartum thyroiditis. A deficiency of thyroid hormone can cause miscarriages, preterm delivery, stillbirth, and postpartum hemorrhage. Women with overactive thyroid during pregnancy are at risk of having more severe morning sickness. Ways of treating overactive thyroid gland during pregnancy must be individually considered.
Menopause: Thyroid disorders may cause the early onset of menopause (before age 40 or in the early 40s). Some symptoms of overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) may also be mistaken for early menopause. These include lack of menstruation, hot flashes, inability to sleep (insomnia), and mood swings. Treating hyperthyroidism can sometimes ease symptoms of early menopause or prevent early menopause from happening. (womenshealthmagazine.com)
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- (hypothyroid, hyperthyroidism, Medical research experts, Menopause, Pregnancy and postpartum, Reproduction
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