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‘One in eight women will be affected by a thyroid condition at some point in their lives’
Your thyroid is the key to your body’s energy and metabolism so why don’t we know more about it? We get an expert’s advice on the importance of understanding more about this vital gland and how essential it is for maintaining balance in your body.
We all know how essential it is to be attuned to the body’s innate signals, but for lots of us when the first signs of hormonal and metabolic imbalance show up, we might immediately put them down to perimenopause or menopause – think classic signs of hot sweats, fatigue, weight gain and depression. But according to Oonagh O’Hagan of Meaghers Pharmacy, we may be misdiagnosing ourselves from the get-go.
“We see so many women putting symptoms of underactive or overactive thyroid down to menopause or hormonal changes, without thinking it might be caused by their thyroid,” she says. “The reason, I think, why so many of us go undiagnosed is because, often, the symptoms are underlying and women, in particular, just plough ahead and get on with things, without realising that feeling this way is not normal.”
Thyroid issues are most commonly caused by an autoimmune response – which is when your body accidentally attacks your body, instead of protecting it – and it is still not understood why this happens. “It could be genetics,” says Oonagh, “but environmental and lifestyle factors such as stress and nutrition could also play a role in it.”
One in eight women will be affected by a thyroid condition at some point in their lives and it’s particularly common in women over 40.
“Hashimoto’s autoimmune disease, which results in an underactive thyroid, causes most thyroid diseases,” says Oonagh, “but Graves’ disease is another autoimmune disease that alternatively causes an overactive thyroid, and is much more likely to affect women, than men.” According to the HSE, the risk of Hashimoto’s disease is about ten times higher for women than men and one in eight women will be affected by a thyroid condition at some point in their lives. It is particularly common in women over 40.
Understanding your thyroid
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped thyroid gland, located in the neck. It is an endocrine gland, which means it produces hormones. Every cell in the body is affected by thyroid hormones. The thyroid has many functions but its central four affect your metabolism, growth and development, temperature regulation and heart rate.
The thyroid helps control how your body breaks down and converts food into energy. It influences how quickly your body burns calories and the speed of how it digests food. The hormones it produces are essential for growth and development, especially during childhood and adolescence. These hormones also help to maintain your body temperature. And finally, it affects the speed at which your heart beats.
In an underacting thyroid (Hypothyroidism) the thyroid isn’t producing enough hormones, which will cause symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, feeling cold, dry skin, and depression. Your metabolism slows down. The other side of this is Hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid), which means too many hormones are being produced, causing symptoms like weight loss, sweating, increased heart rate, and anxiety. The metabolism speeds up. Sometimes infections can cause inflammation of the thyroid, affecting its function.
A predominantly female issue
There are so many hormonal changes happening to a woman’s body between the ages of 30 and 50 – think childbirth and post-natal, perimenopause and menopause – that the similarity in symptoms can mask the true issue.
Thankfully, once you have been diagnosed, there are plenty of ways to ensure you feel back to yourself, from medication to diet, exercise and sleep. It’s important to look at your whole health, emphasises Oonagh. “That’s why pharmacist Liz O’Hagan started Pharmacy 360 at Meaghers Pharmacy.” It’s a free digital information platform that looks at seven different elements of lifestyle health (core values, sleep, stress management, nutrition, movement, connections and relationships, and environment). “It has been brilliant to complement people’s prescriptions or ailments, by empowering them to understand their health better.”
“If you notice a drastic onset of symptoms as listed above, you could be suffering from an autoimmune response,” says Oonagh. “Ask yourself: is there a trauma or have you been through a stressful time? How is your diet and nutritional consumption? How are you sleeping? Are you exercising? Do you have a supportive social circle around you or are you feeling isolated? I think it is so important to acknowledge these lifestyle factors to offer and direct people to suitable supports that might help them. We know that by addressing these lifestyle factors whilst introducing a medicine for their condition, the outcomes will be much more positive for the patient. Finally, make sure you go to see your GP and book in for a blood test.”
Addressing the issue
For underactive thyroid, Levothyroxine, best known as Eltroxin, is most commonly prescribed. For an overactive thyroid, Carbimazole, known as NeoMercazole, is usually given. Every patient’s dose is tailored specifically to them, based on regular blood test results to measure their thyroid hormone levels. It is very important to take the medication as directed by your prescriber, as too much, or too little of it can be harmful.
Good sleep is essential to thyroid health, and routine is a crucial factor in achieving this, so establish consistent bedtimes and wake times. Be mindful about what you are consuming in the evenings before bed – not just food, but information too, and also ensure you are not eating a large or heavy meal or foods that are high in fat, sugar or spices before bed as these can cause indigestion, acid reflux and fluctuations in blood sugar, all of which can disrupt your sleep.
“Try putting down the technology in the last hour before bed and instead, escape into a book, or listen to some relaxing music,” says Oonagh. “We know that the blue light emitted from your phones or laptops fools the brain into thinking it is daytime and reduces our melatonin levels. This is the hormone that is released in our body to promote sleep, so it really is very important to stop scrolling if you are serious about having a restful sleep. After a day of go-go-go, our bodies need time to unwind and drop into sleep.”
Nutrition and supplements
Diet is another key area in addressing thyroid issues, but there is a lot of conflicting information out there – particularly on iodine and seaweed supplements, says Oonagh. “Your body needs iodine to make thyroid hormones in the thyroid gland, but I recommend getting your iodine from your diet rather than a supplement.”
If your thyroid levels are very low, foods rich in iodine such as cod, tuna and shrimp as well as dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese and eggs are an important consideration. “Take a look at your meal and ask yourself, is it colourful?” Says Oonagh “It is important to try and eat a variety of different vegetables and fruits every day and the natural colours of fruits and vegetables contain so many nutrients our bodies thrive on.”
