Sometimes, periods of women might be acting a little off, arriving late, and staying for more than the usual duration, sometimes even skipping completely. This can be because of something more than just normal lifestyle changes. Women often don’t know about the not-so-obvious culprit behind this, which is their thyroid gland. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland present in the neck. When this gland is out of sync due to any condition, it can create havoc in the menstrual cycle of women, leading them to see a thyroid specialist near me. From irregular periods to heavy bleeding, light spotting, and even the absence of periods. The bigger problem, however, is that these problems linked with the thyroid gland come up with very vague symptoms, which women might link to their irregular lifestyle of PMS. These symptoms, including fatigue, mood swings, or thinning of hair, are not very obvious symptoms to pinpoint this problem. As a result, when this condition is ignored, it can have severe complications, including its negative impact on fertility, pregnancy, and overall health of the woman. In this article, we will discuss in detail how the thyroid gland affects women’s periods so that they can make informed and more aware decisions regarding their menstrual cycles and thyroid treatment.
What is the thyroid gland?
The thyroid gland is a small organ of the body with a big job on its hands. It is a small, butterfly-shaped organ that is located in the neck of a person and is responsible for maintaining the metabolism and heartbeat. It releases thyroid hormone into the bloodstream, which regulates various functions of the body, including digestion, heart rate, and metabolism. If the thyroid gland of a person malfunctions in any way, its repercussions can be seen in all the functions of the body. In women, the improper functioning of the thyroid gland can often cause problems with menstrual cycles. Hence, it is important to keep a check on the thyroid gland, especially for women, and pay regular visits to a thyroid hospital near me.
How does the thyroid affect periods?
As discussed above, the thyroid gland produces hormones that act as chemical signals that reach throughout the body and tell the body to act or behave in a proper manner. When there are too many or too few of these hormones reaching different parts of the body, it can affect various organ systems, including the reproductive system, which is concerned with menstruation in women.
- Hypothyroidism, or less than the normal production of thyroid hormone, can lead to problems like heavy periods, missed periods, frequent periods, or no periods at all.
- Hyperthyroidism, or more than normal production of thyroid hormone, without proper thyroid treatment, can lead to missed or absent periods, light or short periods, and fertility issues, and even the risk of a miscarriage.
Thyroid Problems might lead to heavy periods
Heavy periods are those in which the bleeding is so heavy that the woman has to wear two pads at a time, or she might need to change her tampons every hour. This can go on for several consecutive hours, and might even last more than a week, and produce large-sized blood clots. Thyroid imbalance can lead to heavy periods. However, heavy periods are a symptom of other health conditions as well, hence, a woman facing heavy periods must visit a gynecologist near me to get the most appropriate answers regarding the same.
Thyroid Problems might cause infrequent periods
If a woman is facing difficulties in keeping track of her periods because of the fact that they never come when they should, she might be facing issues related to infrequent periods. If she is not having periods at all, the problem can be even bigger. In the cases where thyroid hormone is the underlying cause, it causes a series of changes in the body that lead to infrequent periods if thyroid treatment is not started. This includes the overproduction of thyroid hormones that trigger the pituitary gland to produce prolactin, which affects the ability of the ovaries to produce estrogen. Hence, resulting in infrequent periods.
The thyroid can cause fertility problems
When the thyroid hormone starts to malfunction, one of the first things it hampers in the reproductive system is the process of ovulation. If a woman does not ovulate regularly, it might lead to her facing problems and challenges in getting pregnant, and if she doesn’t ovulate at all, it might be nearly impossible for her to get pregnant without any medical intervention.
If you are looking for the best gynecologist for infertility in Mohali or the best thyroid specialist in Mohali, Sohana Hospital might just be the ideal choice for you. Sohana Hospital Mohali boasts of the World’s Most Advanced Technology and North India’s most trusted and renowned Gynecologists and Thyroid Specialists, who provide the most effective, comprehensive, and holistic treatment for all women’s health-related ailments of the patients in the region. We firmly believe that a strong family starts with a healthy woman. Book your appointment today and take the first step towards a healthier society, starting with healthier women.