thyroid problems مشکلات تیروئید

Your thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland found at the base of your neck, just below your Adam's apple. This gland makes thyroid hormone that travels in your blood to all parts of your body. The thyroid hormone controls your body's metabolism in many ways, including how fast you burn calories and how fast your heart beats.

Women are more likely than men to have thyroid disease. One in eight women will develop thyroid problems during her lifetime.

In women, thyroid diseases can cause:

• Problems with your menstrual period. Your thyroid helps control your menstrual cycle. Too much or too little thyroid hormone can make your periods very light, heavy, or irregular. Thyroid disease also can cause your periods to stop for several months or longer, a condition called amenorrhea. If your body's immune system causes thyroid disease, other glands, including your ovaries, may be involved. This can lead to early menopause (before age 40).
• Problems getting pregnant. When thyroid disease affects the menstrual cycle, it also affects ovulation. This can make it harder for you to get pregnant.
• Problems during pregnancy. Thyroid problems during pregnancy can cause health problems for the mother and the baby.

Sometimes, symptoms of thyroid problems are mistaken for menopause symptoms. Thyroid disease, especially hypothyroidism, is more likely to develop after menopause.

What are the symptoms of thyroid problems in females?

What are the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism?

• Feeling cold when other people do not.
• Constipation.
• Muscle weakness.
• Weight gain, even though you are not eating more food.
• Joint or muscle pain.
• Feeling sad or depressed.
• Feeling very tired.
• Pale, dry skin.

Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid does not make enough thyroid hormones. It is also called underactive thyroid. This slows down many of your body's functions, like your metabolism.

The most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States is Hashimoto's disease. In people with Hashimoto's disease, the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid. This attack damages the thyroid so that it does not make enough hormones.

Symptoms of Underactive Thyroid

Symptoms of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) may include but are not limited to the following:

Fatigue, loss of energy, and general lethargy	Cold intolerance
Muscle and/or joint pain	Decreased sweating
Depression	Puffiness
Weight gain	Coarse or dry skin and hair
Hair loss	Sleep apnea
Carpal tunnel syndrome	Forgetfulness, impaired memory, and inability to concentrate
Decreased hearing	Bradycardia (reduced heart rate)
Menstrual disturbances	Decreased appetite
Impaired fertility	Constipation
Fullness in the throat, hoarseness	Increased risk of heart disease
Increased "bad" cholesterol (LDL)	Weakness in extremities
Emotional instability	Blurred vision
Mental Impairment

Hypothyroidism also can be caused by:

• Hyperthyroidism treatment (radioiodine)
• Radiation treatment of certain cancers
• Thyroid removal

Pregnancy-related hormones raise the level of thyroid hormones in the blood. Thyroid hormones are necessary for the baby's brain development while in the womb.

It can be harder to diagnose thyroid problems during pregnancy because of the change in hormone levels that normally happen during pregnancy. But it is especially important to check for problems before getting pregnant and during pregnancy. Uncontrolled hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism can cause problems for both mother and baby.

Hyperthyroidism that is not treated with medicine during pregnancy can cause:

• Premature birth (birth of the baby before 39 to 40 weeks, or full-term)
• Preeclampsia, a serious condition starting after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Preeclampsia causes high blood pressure and problems with the kidneys and other organs. The only cure for preeclampsia is childbirth.
• Thyroid storm (sudden, severe worsening of symptoms)
• Fast heart rate in the newborn, which can lead to heart failure, poor weight gain, or an enlarged thyroid that can make it hard to breathe
• Low birth weight (smaller than 5 pounds)
• Miscarriage

Hypothyroidism that is not treated with medicine during pregnancy can cause:

• Anemia (lower than normal number of healthy red blood cells)
• Preeclampsia
• Low birth weight (smaller than 5 pounds)
• Miscarriage
• Stillbirth
• Problems with the baby's growth and brain development

Reference: 

• womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/thyroid-disease 
• articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/10/28/how-thyroid-gland-functions.aspx