Does thyroid disease affect the menstrual cycle?

The thyroid gland is one of the important glands that affects most of the body's metabolism. When the thyroid gland has problems or the patient unfortunately has thyroid diseases, the body will show a number of obvious symptoms. For women, menstrual irregularities are one of the signs that help identify thyroid disease.

The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland located in the front of the neck. The thyroid gland helps to produce two important hormones, T3 (Triodothyronine) and T4 (Triodothyronine), which are essential for all metabolic activities of the body. When the thyroid gland is not working properly, the amount of thyroid hormone in the body is out of balance causing thyroid diseases.
The two most common thyroid diseases today are hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. In which:
Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland is overactive, secreting too much hormone. Causes of hyperthyroidism may be due to endocrine disorders, Graves' disease, which is common in women aged 30-50 years old, or due to iodine overdose during treatment. Hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the thyroid gland is underactive. The cause of hypothyroidism can be due to the patient's thyroidectomy, iodine deficiency, use of anti-thyroid drugs or hormonal changes. Both of the above conditions, if not treated in time, will affect every aspect of your health, especially the functioning of the thyroid gland, and can even lead to thyroid cancer.

According to statistics, in recent years, the rate of thyroid disease in women is 3 times higher than that of men. Compared with men, women are more likely to be affected by thyroid diseases such as disorders that cause hypothyroidism, disorders that lead to hyperthyroidism, thyroiditis, thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer.
If women feel unusual symptoms leading to suspicion of thyroid diseases, they should see a doctor for a specific diagnosis. A woman is more likely to have thyroid problems if she has one of the following:
There is a history of thyroid problems in the past. Have had surgery or radiation therapy that affects your thyroid gland. Have comorbidities such as goiter , anemia or type 1 diabetes .

Women with thyroid disease often have problems with menstrual disorders. Any change in the menstrual cycle or irregular periods can be a sign of thyroid problems.
Because the thyroid gland plays an important role in controlling a woman's menstrual cycle, too much or too little thyroid hormone can lead to changes in a woman's menstrual cycle from mild to severe, menstrual disorders or related abnormalities:
If a woman lacks thyroid hormone, menorrhagia, polymenorrhea. Conversely, if excess thyroid hormone causes amenorrhea, amenorrhea. In addition, if the body has an immune system disorder that causes thyroid disease, other glands are also susceptible to being affected, especially the ovaries. This can lead to early menopause in women (women before age 40).

Because of the effect on menstruation, thyroid diseases are also the cause of important reproductive health problems in women, specifically:
Pregnancy problems: thyroid disease affects the cycle Menstruation shows it will also affect ovulation, making it difficult for women to conceive. Problems during pregnancy: Thyroid diseases corresponding to hormone imbalance will potentially cause harm to the health of the mother and fetus during pregnancy. Another thing to keep in mind is that due to irregular periods, women can get pregnant without even knowing it. During the period when hyperthyroidism is still present, it is best to avoid pregnancy by appropriate planning measures.
Hyperthyroidism causes menstrual disorders, but after a period of treatment, the hyperthyroidism stabilizes (about 3-6 months), the menstrual cycle will return to the same as before and the patient can reproduce as normal person. This temporary menstrual irregularity is not a cause for concern.
In general, thyroid function plays a very important role in female reproductive health, especially during pregnancy. Therefore, it is necessary to have special monitoring, check the health status before and during pregnancy to avoid health problems affecting both pregnant women and children.

Thyroid diseases are often left undiagnosed in 20 - 60% of the total population. That is the reason for Vinmec International General Hospital to launch the Package of Screening and Screening for Thyroid Diseases. Screening & early detection of common thyroid diseases such as simple goiter, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer... appropriate and timely treatment.
To register for examination and treatment at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact Vinmec Health System nationwide, or register online HERE.
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