Lisa
Haber, now 41, struggled with weight issues, fatigue, and dry skin as a
teenager. She visited an endocrinologist, who said her thyroid was not
to blame. But in 2013, when she was 37 and trying unsuccessfully to get
pregnant, she went to her internist and had her thyroid retested. She
found out that it wasn't functioning well and could be contributing to
her inability to have a baby. Lisa, a social worker who lives in
Chicago, went on medication that relieved some of her symptoms, and she
got pregnant with her son a few months later.
[post_ads_2]
Thyroid problems can take a toll on well-being, and as Lisa found out, they can be difficult to pinpoint. Often the symptoms mimic signs of other issues like depression and menopause. About one in eight women will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime, yet up to 60 percent of people with thyroid disease don't realize they have it.
What's more, the diagnosis of hypothyroidism, one of the most common thyroid problems, can be controversial: Some think test results don't always offer a definitive answer. That's why you should educate yourself to stay healthy. Here, what all women need to know.
[post_ads_2]
Thyroid problems can take a toll on well-being, and as Lisa found out, they can be difficult to pinpoint. Often the symptoms mimic signs of other issues like depression and menopause. About one in eight women will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime, yet up to 60 percent of people with thyroid disease don't realize they have it.
What's more, the diagnosis of hypothyroidism, one of the most common thyroid problems, can be controversial: Some think test results don't always offer a definitive answer. That's why you should educate yourself to stay healthy. Here, what all women need to know.
The thyroid is a little powerhouse.
 |
Getty Image
|
The
butterfly-shaped gland, which lives in the base of your neck, is
frequently associated with everything from fatigue to excess pounds—for
good reason. "Thyroid hormones affect nearly every organ and process in
the body," says Angela Leung, M.D., assistant clinical professor of
medicine in UCLA's Division of Endocrinology. How it works:
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), released by the brain's pituitary
gland, tells the thyroid to produce and release thyroxine (T4). You metabolize T4 into a more usable form, T3, which goes out into the body to accomplish its mile-long to-do list.
[post_ads_2]
Thyroid issues are prevalent in women.
 |
Getty Image
|
About 10 percent of
women have some form of hypothyroidism, in which the thyroid gland
can't make sufficient thyroid hormones to keep the body humming
smoothly. Women are up to eight times as likely to experience it as men,
and those over 60 are at even higher risk. Less frequent (affecting about 1 percent of Americans) is hyperthyroidism, in which excess thyroid hormone is produced.
The symptoms are often subtle at first, yet harmful later.
 |
Getty Images
|
When the thyroid slws down, you slow
down. Your metabolism loses steam, your energy slumps, you feel colder
and weaker, your heart rate drops, and your brain fogs. Hypo- thyroidism
has also been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and
infertility. (The opposite happens with hyperthyroidism, which causes
bodily functions to speed up.)
[post_ads_2]
[post_ads_2]
 |
ISTOCKPHOTO
|
Your risk of thyroid issues increases with age, and perimenopause usually starts in your 40s.
Since hypothyroidism shares many of the same symptoms, such as fatigue,
erratic periods, and weight gain, it can be hard for women to tease the
two issues apart initially, says Dr. Leung. Clues that your symptoms
might be thyroid-related instead of menopausal: You have a family
history of thyroid disease (ask your mother or a female relative if
you're not sure) or you have an autoimmune problem such as type 1 diabetes
or celiac disease. (Inflammation caused by an autoimmune disease—when
your immune system attacks the thyroid—is the most common cause of
hypothyroidism.)
Doctors use the same tests to check thyroid levels, but their recommendations may differ.
 |
Getty Images
|
The
first step in investigating a problem is to check your TSH level with a
quick blood test. If your TSH is high or abnormal, it could mean your
thyroid isn't functioning well and your body is trying to release more
TSH to tell your thyroid to get moving. Yet what's "normal" can be
subjective. Many experts consider the normal range for TSH to be from
0.5 to 5 mIU/L, so if your test results come back within this window,
your doc might not suggest treatment. Other experts, typically
integrative or holistic-minded physicians, might consider treatment if
your levels are technically in the normal range (say, 2.5 to 4 mIU/L)
but you're experiencing symptoms. Your doctor may also want to test your
T3 or T4 level to get a better sense of your thyroid health.
[post_ads_2]
Treatment is very effective—if you need it.
 |
Getty Images
|
Levothyroxine—synthetic
T4—is one of the most prescribed drugs in the U.S., more common than
amoxicillin or Lipitor. It's relatively inexpensive (about $13 per month
for the generic form) and has few side effects. Most patients notice a
difference in how they feel within a month. Although the medication is
safe, you need to take it at the same time every morning on an empty
stomach, an hour before eating. If it works, you need to be on it in
some form for the rest of your life, says Juan Brito, M.D., an
endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic, and thus experts caution against the
pills unless you truly have a thyroid disorder.
The thyroid can be a scapegoat for other health problems.
 |
Getty Images
|
It's
true that symptoms like weight gain, fatigue, and low sex drive are
sometimes wrongly blamed on the thyroid. That's why it's important for
doctors to look at everything—test results, symptoms, and risk
factors—in context rather than as stand-alone issues, says Melinda Ring,
M.D., executive director of Northwestern Medicine's Osher Center for
Integrative Medicine in Chicago. Knowing what's typical for your body
and working with a doctor to sort through concerns will help provide
answers. An internist or a primary care physician is a great person to
start with. Along with conducting blood tests, he or she will look for
other issues that might be masquerading as hypothyroid symptoms:
Fatigue, for example, could indicate a vitamin deficiency. From there,
you may be referred to an endocrinologist if necessary.
[post_ads_2]
When and what you eat can help your thyroid.
 |
Getty Images
|
Eating
smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day may have a positive
impact on T3 levels, perhaps by increasing levels of insulin, which
helps the body turn T4 into T3, suggests new research from Rush
University Medical Center in Chicago.
Eating more foods with selenium can also help.
 |
Getty Images
|
One
study found that selenium might help prevent thyroid damage in people
with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition that can lead to
hypothyroidism. (Selenium is needed to make thyroid hormones.) The
recommended daily amount of the mineral for women is 55 mcg per day; you
can find it in seafood, Brazil nuts, and eggs.
[post_ads_2]
[post_ads_2]
Know when to get screened.
 |
Getty Images
|
While
most medical organizations do not endorse routine thyroid screening for
healthy individuals, it's a good idea for pregnant women. "Thyroid
hormone is important for the developing fetus," says Shanti Serdy, M.D.,
a staff physician at Boston's Joslin Diabetes Center specializing in
thyroid health and an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
You may also want to get screened if you have risk factors such as a
family history of thyroid disease or a personal or family history of
autoimmune conditions.
[post_ads_2]
If you think you're at risk or you're experiencing bothersome symptoms, talk to your physician.
Finally, if you know something is off, go with your gut.
Exercising her voice and working with different medical practitioners
was critical for Mary Shomon, 56, of Gaithersburg, MD, who was diagnosed
with hypothyroidism in 1995 and tried numerous medications before
finding a combination that worked. (In addition to T4, she needed a
daily boost of T3 before her symptoms of weight gain, fatigue, and the
blues finally subsided.) Now a thyroid-health activist and author, she
encourages women not to give up. "What's normal for one woman may not be
normal for another," she says. "I'm thankful I found someone to treat
me as a patient, not a number. It changed everything."
