Why thyroid disorders affect women more than men

For being such an inconspicuous part of the human anatomy, our thyroid can certainly play havoc on our body – especially for women. Currently, around 20 million Americans have some form of an issue with their thyroid. Even though people of all ages and races can get thyroid disease, women bear the brunt as they are 5 to 8 times more likely than men to have thyroid problems.

What is the thyroid?

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped part of the endocrine system essential for everyday health. It lies in the middle of the lower neck and its primary function is to control the body’s metabolism or the rate at which cells perform their jobs. In order to control metabolism, the thyroid produces hormones T4 and T3, which tells cells of the body how much energy to use.

When the thyroid is functioning like it should, the right amount of hormones needed to keep the body’s metabolism properly working, will be maintained.

The pituitary gland is the master gland of the body telling all the other glands – including the thyroid gland – what to do. This pea-sized gland is attached to the base of the brain and is important in controlling growth and development and the functioning of the other endocrine glands.

What is thyroid disease?

For some people, their thyroid can get to where it is not working as well as it should. One way is when it produces too much hormone causing the body to use energy faster than it should which is called hyperthyroidism. Or the thyroid might do just the opposite and not produce enough hormones causing the body to use energy at a much slower rate known as hypothyroidism.

Thyroid conditions that affect women more than men

It is not completely understood why women suffer more from thyroid conditions than men but there are certain situations affecting the functioning of a woman’s thyroid:

· Hashimoto’s disease

Hashimoto’s disease is a painless hereditary autoimmune disease affecting the thyroid. It is found about 7 times more common in women than men and can occur in teens and young women but more commonly it shows up in middle age. With Hashimoto’s disease, the immune system makes antibodies that damage thyroid cells interfering with their ability to make thyroid hormone making this condition the most common cause for an underactive thyroid. People who have Hashimoto’s disease sometimes have other autoimmune diseases such as Grave’s disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes, Pernicious anemia, and Lupus.

· Postpartum thyroiditis

This condition causes inflammation of the thyroid gland that can occur within a year after a woman gives birth. It affects 5 to 10 out of every 100 women after they deliver a baby. This condition usually has two phases – hyperthyroidism (too much hormone), and hypothyroidism (too little thyroid hormone.

· Grave’s disease

Grave’s disease is one of the most common of all thyroid problems and is a leading cause of hyperthyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland produces excessive hormones. It is unclear as to what causes Grave’s disease but heredity and other characteristics seem to play a role. Grave’s disease can occur in people of all ages affecting both men and women. But it affects women 10 times more often than men.

· Iodine deficiency

Iodine is an essential mineral and is critical for the production of your thyroid hormone. The primary role of iodine in the body is to serve as one of the ingredients in the synthesis of the two major thyroid hormones – thyroxine or T4 and triiodothyronine or T3, both with have extensive roles in the body. Iodine makes up about 59 percent of T3 and 65 percent of T4 by weight. Women are more likely to have an iodine deficiency than men which can cause a number of medical disorders including goiter and cretinism.

Seeking help

Since women are more likely to have issues with their thyroid, they need to pay attention to possible symptoms of hypo- or hyperthyroidism which include fatigue, frequent heavy menstrual cycles or infrequent scant menstrual cycles, weight gain or loss, dry skin and hair, hoarse voice, intolerance to cold, irritability or nervousness, sleep disturbances, heat sensitivity, or an enlarged thyroid gland.

Any sign of the above symptoms that are out of the ordinary, needs to be evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible. The sooner a woman can see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis, the quicker she can be prescribed medications to help reduce symptoms and other possible complications.