For controlling the speed of metabolism, a butterfly shaped thyroid plays an important role in us. It is known that the thyroid gland that is situated in the neck (just below the larynx and in front of the trachea (is the largest endocrine gland in us. The 2 important hormones that are produced by the thyroid glands are triiodothyronine and thyroxine. We could get hypothyroidism when the thyroid glands do not produce enough hormones.
Thyroid and women health:
It is worthy to note that hypothyroidism has a lot to do with the women`s reproductive system. An underactive or an overactive thyroid gland could affect a woman in different stages of life as she goes from puberty to menopausal stage.
These are different ways by which thyroid can affect a woman.
Thyroid issues could lead to early onset of menstruation and irregular menstruation etc
Ovulation could get affected due to underactive or overactive thyroid gland
Development of cyst in the ovaries would get increased
Thyroid issues can pose a huge risk to the fetus during pregnancy. There are more chances of still births, miscarriage, postpartum etc.
Various signs of thyroid problem in women:
Unexplained weight gain or loss:
Low levels of thyroid hormones would lead to weight loss and high levels of thyroid hormones would lead to weight gain in women. This is a common sign of thyroid problem.
Fatigue:
Both physical as well as mental health of a woman would get affected by the rate of hormone production by the thyroid gland. By reducing the metabolism, a woman could have low energy levels. She would experience constant feeling of tiredness or fatigue etc.
Neck swelling:
Thyroid issues can lead to enlargement in the neck. Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism could lead to goitre.
Changes in heart rate:
While women with hypothyroidism could have reduced heart beat rate, those with hyperthyroidism could have a high heartbeat rate.
Mood swings etc:
There are possibilities that thyroid could make a woman more anxious, irritable and restless etc.
Hair loss:
Both hypothyroidism as well as hyperthyroidism can lead to hair loss in a woman. It is known that hair loss could also be due to other factors too.