Causes of Thyroid Imbalance in Women and Steps for Treatment

When there is thyroid, the thyroid gland gets swollen but it is not necessary that this happens in all women. Thyroid hormone helps in digesting food. Digestion of food brings energy to the body. Due to lack of thyroid hormone in the body, food is not digested properly. Due to this, the energy level in the body decreases. Therefore, women suffering from thyroid complain of fatigue, lethargy and excessive sleep. Thyroid hormone brings warmth to the body, whereas due to lack of thyroid hormone, one always feels cold.

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It has also been observed that when the amount of thyroid hormone in the body decreases, weight starts increasing without making any significant changes in diet or lifestyle. Even a slight decrease in thyroid hormone can increase weight by two to two and a half kilos in two or three months.

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Apart from this, due to less production of thyroid hormone, hair starts falling, skin becomes dry and nails also become weak. Along with this, there is pain in the legs and muscles. Some women also have the problem of constipation.

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Thyroid has different effects on menstruation and pregnancy of women -

Effect On Periods:
Due to lack of thyroid hormone, it has a profound effect on periods. However, this is a common problem. Periods of many women and girls become irregular. Due to low thyroid hormone in the body, periods (bleeding) may be less, bleeding may be more or sometimes periods stop. These conditions become a cause of trouble. In such a situation, you should go to the doctor and get yourself checked. A blood test is done to check the level of thyroid hormone.

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Effect On Pregnancy:
Talking about pregnancy, women may have difficulty in conceiving if the thyroid hormone is low. Actually, due to low thyroid hormone in the body, ovulation (egg coming out of the ovary) is obstructed. In thyroid, despite the periods being regular, due to lack of ovulation, there may be difficulty in getting pregnant.

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Even if you get pregnant, there is a possibility of miscarriage. Even if the pregnancy has been confirmed, the baby may be born prematurely. If the woman has thyroid during pregnancy, then the child may also have a problem with thyroid hormone. Due to lack of thyroid hormone, the child may have heart and brain related problems.

Therefore, it is important to get thyroid hormone checkup done from time to time so that the problem can be treated on time. If thyroid is not treated on time, then due to this the amount of cholesterol in the body can increase and heart attack or stroke can also occur.

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If the amount of iodine in your body has decreased or you have fallen prey to a viral infection, then your thyroid gland may swell. Due to this, the thyroid gland stops working properly. Apart from this, the following reasons can also be responsible for the decrease in thyroid hormone:

• Stress
• Due to changes in hormones, the thyroid gland also stops working.
• Many times, even after delivery, such changes occur in the body of women, due to which thyroid problems can occur.

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If the amount of thyroid hormone in the body is low, then iodized salt should be used. Those who eat non-vegetarian food should eat fish twice a week. Almonds, cashew milk and curd are also good options. Cashews and almonds help in increasing the amount of a mineral called selenium, which supports the thyroid gland.

Along with diet, one should do walking, yoga or any other exercise for three hours a week for three months. Irritability and mood swings can occur due to low thyroid hormone. Do yoga or meditation for this.

What not to eat

• Red meat
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli

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If there is a suspicion of thyroid, go to the doctor immediately. Thyroid function test is done to check thyroid. Thyroid function test costs approximately between 200 to 300 rupees. This blood test is always done on an empty stomach. The level of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is seen in the test report. Its normal value is between 0.5 to 5. A TSH level of more than 5 means that the thyroid gland is not functioning properly.

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Thyroid problems in women can occur due to many reasons, such as heredity, autoimmune disorders, iodine deficiency, and stress. Its symptoms can include fatigue, weight changes, hair loss, dry skin, abnormal heartbeat, and menstrual irregularities. Proper diet, regular checkups, and taking medicines prescribed by the doctor are important in the treatment of thyroid. Apart from this, lifestyle changes like yoga and meditation can also help in controlling thyroid symptoms. Thyroid can be kept under control with timely treatment and doctor's advice.