Your thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland found at the base of your neck, just below your Adam's apple. This gland makes thyroid hormone that travels in your blood to all parts of your body. The thyroid hormone controls your body's metabolism in many ways, including how fast you burn calories and how fast your heart beats.
How do thyroid problems affect women?
Women are more likely than men to have thyroid disease. One in eight women will develop thyroid problems during her lifetime.1 In women, thyroid diseases can cause:
• Problems with your menstrual period. Your thyroid helps control your menstrual cycle. Too much or too little thyroid hormone can make your periods very light, heavy, or irregular. Thyroid disease also can cause your periods to stop for several months or longer, a condition called amenorrhea. If your body's immune system causes thyroid disease, other glands, including your ovaries, may be involved. This can lead to early menopause (before age 40).
• Problems getting pregnant. When thyroid disease affects the menstrual cycle, it also affects ovulation. This can make it harder for you to get pregnant.
• Problems during pregnancy. Thyroid problems during pregnancy can cause health problems for the mother and the baby.
Sometimes, symptoms of thyroid problems are mistaken for menopause symptoms. Thyroid disease, especially hypothyroidism, is more likely to develop after menopause.
Are some women more at risk for thyroid disease?
Yes. You may want to talk to your doctor about getting tested if you:
• Had a thyroid problem in the past
• Had surgery or radiotherapy affecting the thyroid gland
• Have a condition such as goiter, anemia, or type 1 diabetes
Thyroid diseases need consultation
These thyroid diseases affect more women than men:
• Disorders that cause hypothyroidism
• Disorders that cause hyperthyroidism
• Thyroiditis, especially postpartum thyroiditis
• goiter
• Thyroid nodules
• Thyroid cancer
All kind of thyroid diseases need consultation with doctor and may need surgery timely to be get cured before complications to develop.