The thyroid gland is a small gland which is located in the neck. It plays an important role in the production of two crucial hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine which help to regulate the speed in which your body cells work. Imbalances in these hormones can cause irregular cycles or no periods at all and impaired ovulation, which both affect your fertility. With 60% of women being unaware of their thyroid condition, we discuss some of the things to look out for. Having a detailed blood panel to check for thyroid issues, including the levels of TSH, T3, T4 and antibodies, is the only way to determine how well your thyroid is functioning. There can often be a wide reference range when it comes to what constitutes a normal TSH level. The optimal range is under 2.5 ideally below 2 mIU/L.
An overactive thyroid is called Hyperthyroidism, which is where your thyroid produces too many hormones. Symptoms may include:
– Trouble sleeping
– Unexplained weight loss
– Increase in appetite
– Light periods
– Excessive sweating
An overactive thyroid can affect your fertility as the excessive production of hormones can confuse your cycle. For example, in a healthy female, hormones will peak mid-cycle causing the body to ovulate. With an overactive thyroid, hormones are constantly peaked so the body doesn’t know when to ovulate, which can result in irregular or absent menstrual cycles.
An underactive thyroid is called Hypothyroidism which is seen more commonly, however some thyroid conditions can cause the body to fluctuate between under and over active. In Hypothyroidism the thyroid doesn’t produce enough hormones. Symptoms may include:
– Weight gain
– Fatigue
– Thinning of the hair
– Pale skin
– Heavy periods
With lower levels of hormones, this can inhibit the surge of hormones that’s needed for ovulation. As a result, your ovaries will not receive the signal that it’s time to release the egg, meaning ovulation will not happen regularly and in some cases, you may not ovulate at all, making conception very difficult.
Known as hashimotos or autoimmune thyroiditis. This is where the body attacks the healthy tissue of the thyroid causing the function to become impaired. This can cause issues with fertility and raises the risk of a miscarriage.
If you’d like some more information on how a thyroid disorder could be affecting your fertility, Anna would be more than happy to help. Anna has over 12 years of experience working in Women’s health, and has helped many couples with successful pregnancies through fertility acupuncture. To start your fertility journey today, please click here to book in a free 15 minute consultation with Anna. Alternatively, you can give Anna a call today on 07540 353137.
