This is how it influences women’s health

Tiredness can be a symptom of thyroid malfunction.Getty.

The menopause represents a real revolution in women’s health. From an emotional point of view, reaching middle age represents an increase in wisdom and experience. However, when it comes to fitness, there is not such good news. He weight gaina worse metabolism of fats and sugars, a quality of poor sleep and some cardiovascular disorders They are the worst effects of this stage, but not the only ones. The thyroid disorder is another one of them. This small gland controls physiological processes important, and any modification affects women’s health as a whole. We have spoken about all this with him. Dr. Pedro Pablo Ortizendocrinologist, thyroid specialist and professor at the University of Zaragoza.

Can thyroid problems increase during a complex time in a woman’s life such as menopause?

The thyroid can indeed be affected during menopause. The hormonal system in our body is a whole and when some hormones decrease their influence, as happens with estradiol in menopause, the rest can also be compromised. Thyroid problems, which until now had not been detected because they were unimportant, can also add to this ovarian hormonal deficiency and become present, increasing the patient’s symptoms. We have to take into account this, menopause can produce new changes or worsen those that previously existed in the thyroid.

What are the most common at this time?

We can find several possibilities, depending on the thyroid situation of the woman when she goes through menopause. If there is no previous thyroid pathology, subclinical hypothyroidism may appear that must be considered medically and even consider treatment with thyroid hormone, if the symptoms are striking. When a woman develops hypothyroidism during menopause, the appearance of thyroid nodules is very likely and her evolution must be monitored.

What if there is already hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism?

In a woman who already has hypothyroidism (her thyroid functions poorly) and is receiving treatment, the hypothyroidism usually worsens and she will have to increase the dose of the medication she was taking up to that point.

In the case of hyperthyroidism (overfunctioning thyroid) and autoimmune thyroiditis, menopause may improve by correcting the tendency toward compensatory hypothyroidism and by decreasing the rate of antibodies, respectively.

What happens when there are already nodules?

In women who already have diagnosed nodules in their thyroid, they must be monitored more frequently because they can grow, increase their volume and produce local symptoms.

How do they affect the life of a woman during menopause?

Hypothyroidism affects women with menopause in a very important way because it will promote weight gain, physical fatigue, a duller mood, a noticeable decrease in libido, much more sleep during the day or less concentration in their sleep. intellectual activity, to name the most striking symptoms. And, of course, these symptoms are going to greatly harm the symptoms of menopause.

In the case of hyperthyroidism, hot flashes, tachycardia, insomnia, nervousness and palpitations will affect the patient even more, adding to those she already has due to menopause.

Is it true that timing changes during menopause?

An inflammation of the thyroid can cause changes in the tone of the voice, its timbre, with a duller voice or less firmness. If there is also discomfort when swallowing and something feels uncomfortable in the throat, we have to investigate whether a thyroid problem has developed as a result of menopause. In this sense, the appearance of thyroid nodules is frequent and they may also be responsible for these local discomforts that make the patient uncomfortable and require a precise ultrasound study of the thyroid and a precise therapeutic approach.

Should women monitor the functioning of our thyroid more at this time of life?

Without a doubt. At this time of life, thyroid monitoring should be a routine practice. Review of thyroid function should be considered, both through blood tests and a thyroid ultrasound, which will show if the thyroid is increased or decreased or if there are nodules inside it.

Let us remember that menopause can alter the thyroid in any of its circumstances (normo, hyper, hypo, nodules) and greater attention is necessary to both blood test parameters and symptoms or ultrasound interpretation.

Is there anything that women can do preventively?

The better the menopause is taken care of, the better our thyroid will also be taken care of. To do this, the practice of programmed and progressive physical exercise, getting enough rest at night, managing stress and our emotions, adequate sexual activity, control of weight and other pathologies such as cholesterol, high blood pressure and an adequate diet, are first-order elements in improving menopause and the thyroid.

Regarding diet, the thyroid works better with a sufficient supply of iodine. Sea products such as fish, cuttlefish, squid or shellfish have the amount of iodine that helps them stay healthy. Controlling gluten, lactose, or starch is also beneficial in the case of autoimmune thyroiditis. And, thinking about more specific details, we must ensure the contribution of selenium, zinc, magnesium and vitamin D.

When the disease has already appeared, what treatments are available?

When hyper or hypothyroidism is confirmed in blood tests, fortunately we have very effective pharmacological treatments to control both situations. In the case of hyperthyroidism, these are antithyroid medications that block excess thyroid hormone in the blood and normalize the patient. When hypothyroidism appears, oral thyroid hormone is used to compensate for the deficiency. These medications must always be indicated by the doctor and the dose will depend on the symptoms and the results of the blood tests that will be performed on a scheduled basis.

And in the case of nodules?

The appearance of nodules triggers a specific protocol. They are monitored by ultrasound and, if they measure more than 12 millimeters or there are signs of suspicion, a puncture is performed to assess their malignancy. If it is thyroid cancer, the only way is surgery. If the nodule is benign, we can use thermoablation to eliminate it. Of the different possibilities, the one I prefer and perform is using HIFU ultrasounds, because with them you selectively destroy the nodule, you do not need general anesthesia, it is an outpatient treatment, it can be repeated as many times as necessary and it is a non-invasive technique, without needle or scars, safe and effective. With HIFU ultrasounds we ensure that the nodule does not grow any more, local symptoms are eliminated, its size is reduced and the patient is very satisfied.