How The Thyroid Impacts Women, Hormones, and Menstruation

(Tina Dawn/ VM-Med) — Even though it’s a small gland, the thyroid plays a very important role in the body and controls far more than we think. For women, the thyroid can be extremely impactful, affecting their periods, fertility and even postpartum health.

Not only are thyroid disorders far more common in women than in men, but both an overactive and an underactive thyroid gland can have a very big effect on a woman’s reproductive system. It can impact when a woman enters puberty and cause multiple issues with their menstrual cycles.

An irregular thyroid can affect a woman’s ovulation, fertility, pregnancy, increase the chances of miscarriage, and even affect her after she has had the baby.

Postpartum thyroiditis, which affects about 8 per cent of pregnancies, affects women within the first year of giving birth. It usually involves hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism or even both simultaneously. Postpartum thyroiditis should not be taken lightly and needs to be diagnosed and treated. There are many reasons outlined below which explain why it’s crucial to pay close attention to your thyroid.

Menstruation and a Woman’s Thyroid

The thyroid gland has a big effect on the female reproductive system. If you are experiencing unusual menstrual symptoms (unusually heavy flow, constant missed periods, etc.) it’s worth asking your healthcare provider to evaluate your thyroid and make sure it’s nothing serious.

Problems with your menstrual cycle may be due to an underactive or overactive thyroid. How symptoms present could also depend on which type of thyroid disorder you have. Menstrual irregularities are more common in severe thyroid disease and less common in mild thyroid disease.

Hypothyroidism: A Likely Cause for Many Menstrual Problems

Hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid gland, occurs when the body produces too little thyroid hormone.

There are several menstrual problems associated with hypothyroidism. Some of the major ones are:

Heavy and often frequent menstrual bleeding: This is a very common symptom in many people with hypothyroidism. Those who suffer with hypothyroidism may experience menstrual periods that last much longer than an average period or periods that occur more often than people without hyperthyroidism. If bleeding lasts more than seven days or soaks through one or more tampons or pads every hour for several hours in a row you should consult with your medical doctor to diagnose your condition and to rule out other possible –more serious—causes for excessive menstrual bleeding.

Absent or infrequent cycles: Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism may lead to those suffering from these conditions to have periods less frequently or stop having periods altogether. Because the menstrual symptoms of both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism may often be identical it’s important for a healthcare professional to diagnose you properly.

Infertility and miscarriage: People who fail to treat their hypothyroidism may end up having major issues with their fertility. A lack of thyroid hormone can prevent ovulation, which explains why those experiencing thyroid problems can have a far more difficult time conceiving. Not only do they have a higher probability of encountering difficulties getting pregnant, but they are also more likely to experience miscarriage and pregnancy complications when they finally do become pregnant.

Hyperthyroidism and Your Menstrual Cycle

Hyperthyroidism also affects a woman’s menstrual cycle, with absent or infrequent periods being the most common signs.

High levels of prolactin in a woman’s body may cause her to have less frequent or even absent periods. Hyperthyroidism can also affect a woman’s fertility because not ovulating can make it hard to conceive or even cause infertility.

To prevent a miscarriage, people with hyperthyroidism are often treated with antithyroid medication during the second half of their pregnancy. If you’ve been diagnosed with thyroid disease, you should be regularly monitored throughout your entire pregnancy.

Hyperthyroidism may also cause early menopause, with menopause occurring before or around the age of 40.

Thyroid Cancer and Women

While many changes in your thyroid can lead to non-cancerous (benign) conditions such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, thyroid nodules or goiter, there are also more serious conditions that could arise.

Thyroid cancer happens when changes to thyroid cells occur. Papillary and follicular thyroid cancer are the two most common types, with other rare types of cancer also starting in the thyroid gland, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma and soft tissue sarcoma.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, thyroid cancer can develop at any age, but most cases occur in people 20 to 55 years of age. More women than men develop thyroid cancer, probably due to the roles of hormones, which are different in women than in men. Women are therefore 2 to 3 times more likely to develop thyroid cancer than men are.

Women should always pay attention to any changes in their fatigue levels or changes in their hair, nails or skin, as these changes can suggest thyroid cancer symptoms. It’s easy to miss some of these early warning signs of thyroid disorders because they often happen while women are also dealing with many uncomfortable (and occasionally quite similar) symptoms of perimenopause or menopause.

Women who notice a growth in their neck or have trouble swallowing shouldn’t immediately panic. Thyroid nodules affect about 80 per cent of women, but only a very small percentage (5 to15 per cent) of those lumps are cancerous. An ultrasound and in some cases a fine-needle aspiration will usually determine if it’s something more serious. It’s also important to remember that while thyroid cancer cases appear to be increasing globally, most thyroid cancer is curable with the proper treatment and surgery.

With women particularly vulnerable to thyroid disorders that can impact their menstruation, hormone levels, ovulation, and fertility it’s important that they remain vigilant at all stages of their life for any changes indicating a more serious problem.

VM Med’s Thyroid Centre

VM Med’s Thyroid Centre offers patients excellent and timely care. Our team supports every aspect of our patients’ thyroid health throughout the course of their lives. We offer a welcoming environment and specialized counselling and treatments on a wide range of issues.

Although most thyroid nodules are benign, some are cancerous. This is why it is important to have all neck lumps (or nodules) evaluated by a thyroid specialist as soon as possible. Our specialists will evaluate the nodule and propose a plan of action that prioritizes your health and comfort throughout the entire process.

Still have questions? Read more articles on thyroid conditions, such as What are early warning signs of thyroid problems? or Women are far more prone to thyroid problems – stay alert for the signs, or book a consultation with our thyroid experts.