Why do women have more thyroid problems?
Women are more prone to thyroid concerns than men, including low thyroid function, nodules and even cancer. But why are women more vulnerable to these health issues?
By understanding why the thyroid gland is more likely to cause trouble for women, we can start to tackle these factors before they develop into a full-blown health crisis. Let’s explore the contributors to thyroid disease risk in women.
Why do women have more thyroid problems?
The impact of sex hormones
What differentiates the sexes? Sex hormones – particularly oestogen and progesterone. So anytime we know a health problem is more common in women, this is the place to start.
Hormones all influence each other. Oestrogen in particular has a close link to thyroid hormones, and can alter the balance of these hormones. This may explain why thyroid disorders tend to pop up during times of sex hormone fluctuations – think puberty, pregnancy, post-partum and menopause.
Pregnancy and post-partum depletion
Along with the impact of sudden hormonal shifts, pregnancy and post-partum can have additional effects on thyroid health.
We know that pregnancy puts a huge load on the thyroid gland, as it needs to increase production to supoort both mother and baby. Then there is the drain on key nutrients during this time, which can also influence thyroid function and hormone production.
It’s believed that around 2-3% of women experience thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy. However, I suspect the rate is higher, as it often goes under the radar.
Once baby is born, there is a massive shift in sex hormone balance again, putting even greater strain on the thyroid. Post-partum thyroiditis can develop. And if mum is nursing, the production of breast milk can quickly deplete remaining stores of thyroid-supporting nutrients.
The combination of hormonal shifts and depletion of nutrients makes for a perfect storm. Even if the disorder doesn’t surface immediately, many women can trace the origin of their thyroid troubles back to their pregnancy and post-partum journey.
For ideas around supporting your thyroid post-partum, I have some simple and effective tips here.
Perimenopause and menopause
Another time of great hormonal upheaval is the transition through perimenopause into menopause. This period is marked by increased fluctuations in oestrogen along with a drop in progesterone production.
These changes can influence the thyroid by:
Reducing the production of thyroid hormones
Triggering autoimmune processses
Increasing thyroid-binding globulin (TBG)
To learn more about perimenopause and the thyroid, give this a read.
Women and autoimmune disease
Another massive contributor is autoimmune risk. Women are far more likely to develop autoimmune conditions, where the immune system attacks its own tissues.
The two most common thyroid conditions (Hashimoto’s and Graves’) are both autoimmune in nature. So as a result, women are at a higher risk of developing these autoimmune thyroid disorders.
Increased thyroid cancer risk
It’s not just autoimmune thyroid conditions that are more common in women. Women are also more likely to develop thyroid cancer compared to men.
Many forms of thyroid cancer are slow-growing and have a high survival rate compared to other forms of cancer. However, even slow-growing thyroid cancer can have a very real impact on your wellbeing long-term.
There are contributing factors to this higher risk in women, including:
Hormone fluctuations
Environmental triggers such as endocrine disruptors
The impact of female sex hormones on cancer, particularly oestrogen
A higher incidence of thyroid nodules that may become cancerous
To learn more about thyroid cancer, start here.
Women seek medical care more often
This final factor has a lot more to do with modern society than anything!
Women tend to be more proactive about their wellbeing, and are more likely to seek help for symptoms earlier on. They visit healthcare practitioners more frequently, get regular testing and checkups, and also work with integrative and complementary healthcare practitioners more often.
This doesn’t mean that men have just as much thyroid disease! But it does mean that there are many men out there with undiagnosed thyroid issues because they don’t seek support from their healthcare team or get regular testing done.
THE POWER IS IN YOUR HANDS
When you receive a thyroid disease diagnosis, there’s a good chance you’ll feel overwhelmed and powerless. It could even be that you’re not clear on what’s driving it or where it came from!
But even if you’re still uncovering the cause, it doesn’t mean you need to suffer the symptoms forever! Your daily habits can make a massive difference – all you need to do is learn about your condition and empower yourself.