Can your Thyroid Impact your Hormones?
At some point, we have all heard about “The Thyroid,” but what exactly is it?
The thyroid is a small triangular gland that sits at the base of your neck just above the notch of your sternum. If your thyroid is swollen and angry, a physician might even be able to feel the thyroid (go ahead and gently check, you know you want to). The thyroid’s primary job is to control our body’s metabolism. Mayo Clinic defines metabolism as the body’s process of converting the food and drinks that we consume into energy. But what does this have to do with our hormones?
Most people know that a thyroid imbalance can cause weight gain, weight loss, as well as fatigue, but this imbalance can stretch further to impact your hormones as well. Your thyroid plays an essential role in signaling our ovaries to ovulate mid-cycle every month. Since our ovaries are high maintenance, they want only the perfect amount of nagging to begin
ovulation. So too much or too little action from the thyroid telling them to ovulate is never good. It’s like have a boss who micromanages verse a boss that never shows up to provide feedback or guidance. We want our thyroid to be the perfect boss, one who provides instruction and direction when it is needed, and then allows you to shine.
An underactive thyroid can cause hypothyroidism. Symptoms generally include weight gain, fatigue, constipation, feeling cold, thinning hair, pale skin, and increased or heavier menstrual bleeding. If you have hypothyroidism, your thyroid does not signal to produce enough Luteinizing Hormone (LH), which makes it challenging to ovulate and conceive. This is equivalent to an absent boss, not providing enough instruction, and so you sit idly waiting for some form of instruction. Without enough LH, your ovaries never really get the message to ovulate, which can also lead to fertility issues. The good news is that hypothyroidism is usually treatable and quickly fixes the hormonal matters described above.
An overactive thyroid can cause hyperthyroidism. Symptoms generally include unexplained weight loss, increased appetite, feelings of nervousness and anxiety, difficulty sleeping, fewer or lighter menstrual cycles, and increased sweating and heat intolerance. This forces your LH to increase and stay at a heightened state throughout your cycle. This is like a micromanaging boss with endless tasks and suggestions. You are frantically doing tasks, but none really get your closer to the goal. Similarly, with a high LH throughout your cycle, your LH never truly peeks to allow for ovulation to occur. Depending on the severity, this can even cause missed periods (but not in a cool way). Hyperthyroidism is also usually easily treated and quickly fixes the hormonal situation described above.
If you ever have your thyroid checked, and your numbers are not within range, your hormonal levels might also be impacted. Alternatively, if you have a known hormone imbalance, checking your thyroid might be a good idea for you. If you notice a difference in your weight, energy level, sleep, and menstrual cycle, you may want to talk with your healthcare provider to see if a thyroid test is right for you. In today’s world of technology, at home thyroid tests exist, which includes a quick finger prick. Roughly 5 to 7 days later, your results are complete and provided directly to you.
