At the base of your neck, just below your Adam’s apple, lies a small butterfly-shaped gland called the thyroid. This gland produces the thyroid hormone, which controls how your body uses energy – also known as your metabolism. The thyroid hormone affects almost every organ in your body, as well as essential functions like breathing, heart rate, mood, and weight.
Because your thyroid is so important, it needs to make just the right amount of hormone. Too little thyroid hormone can slow your body down, while too much can speed up your metabolism more than it should, potentially leading to hyperthyroidism.
There are two main types of thyroid disease, with one making your thyroid overactive and the other making it not active enough.
While anyone can get thyroid disease, it’s more common in women – and it also affects women in unique ways.
Also read: How Your Thyroid Affects Your Health
Here are 5 things to know about thyroid disease in women:
1. Thyroid disease can affect your period.
The thyroid plays a role in controlling menstruation. If your body makes too much or too little thyroid hormone, your periods can become irregular, very heavy, or very light. You might have amenorrhea, where your periods stop for a few months or longer.
Your thyroid function can also affect when you get your first period. Some girls with thyroid problems have puberty and their first menstrual cycle earlier or later than usual.
Thyroid disease sometimes coexists with problems in the immune system. If this is the case, and if your ovaries are also involved, you may experience early menopause (menopause that starts before age 40).
Also read: 7 Reasons You Might Miss a Period and When to See Your Doctor
2. You may have fertility issues with thyroid disease.
Ovulation is the point during your menstrual cycle when your ovary releases an egg. Pregnancy occurs when the egg is fertilized as it travels through your fallopian tubes.
A thyroid problem can throw off the balance of the hormones that cause ovulation and may even stop ovulation altogether. In addition, hypothyroidism can make your body produce extra prolactin, which is the hormone that instructs your body to make breast milk. If you have too much prolactin, you might not ovulate.
Thyroid problems can interfere with ovulation, making it harder to get pregnant. However, they don’t always prevent pregnancy – you may still be able to conceive.
Also read: Am I at Risk for Thyroid Disease?
3. Pregnant women with thyroid disease have a higher risk of complications.
There’s good news: if you are pregnant – even with thyroid disease, it’s possible to have a healthy pregnancy and delivery. That being said, pregnancy is riskier than it is for women without thyroid disease. Keeping yourself and your baby safe during pregnancy does require an additional level of care.
Thyroid hormones are critical for a baby’s brain and nervous system development. However, the baby’s body won’t start making enough hormones on its own until about 18 to 20 weeks of pregnancy. In those first few months, they are relying on your supply of thyroid hormone to develop normally. That’s why keeping your own levels strong is crucial for your growing baby.
If you have hypo- or hyperthyroidism, make sure you’re keeping up with your treatment and that you’re working closely with your OBGYN and the provider who usually treats your thyroid disease closely both before and during pregnancy. Untreated thyroid disease during pregnancy can lead to other complications:
| Too Much Thyroid Hormone | Too Little Thyroid Hormone |
Without treatment during pregnancy,
| Without treatment during pregnancy,
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4. Some women experience postpartum thyroiditis.
Thyroiditis is when your thyroid becomes inflamed. When it happens within a year of giving birth, having a miscarriage, or getting an abortion, it’s called postpartum thyroiditis. It only occurs in about 5 to 10% of women, but the risk increases if you have type 1 diabetes or a history of thyroid problems.
Postpartum thyroiditis usually happens in three phases. During the first phase, your thyroid will produce too much thyroid hormone. Most people don’t have symptoms during this first phase. In the second phase, your thyroid doesn’t make enough thyroid hormone. This is when you may notice symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, or muscle pain. You might also have trouble producing breast milk.
Phase three is when your thyroid levels return to normal. This usually occurs about 12 to 18 months after the start of symptoms. It’s possible to have permanent thyroid problems, but most people regain full thyroid function.
5. The symptoms of thyroid disease are similar to those of menopause – but there are ways to tell them apart.
Difficulty sleeping, weight gain, irritability, hair loss, hot flashes…sound familiar? These are common symptoms of menopause that you may experience in your 40’s or 50’s. Because these symptoms can mimic thyroid dysfunction, it will be important to check your thyroid hormone levels with your primary care provider.
Anytime you’re experiencing symptoms, check in with your health provider. Whether your symptoms are due to thyroid disease, menopause, or something else entirely, they can help you get the treatment you need.
Concerned about thyroid disease? Schedule an appointment with a Duly Health and Care primary care or women’s health provider.
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