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The butterfly-shaped thyroid gland in the lower part of the neck controls the body’s overall metabolism, heart rate and energy level. In recent years, there has been a huge surge in the cases of thyroid disorders across the world including India, the most worrying thing of which is that women are getting affected by it about eight to ten times more than men. Seven to eight out of every ten patients visiting endocrinology clinics in big cities like Lucknow, Delhi, Mumbai, Patna and Jaipur are women. Thyroid is mainly of two types – hypothyroidism (in which the secretion of hormones from the gland decreases and weight increases rapidly) and hyperthyroidism (in which hormone levels increase excessively and the body starts drying up rapidly). Due to modern lifestyle and biological complexities, this disease has become a big challenge for the overall health of women.
The drastic hormonal changes that occur in women’s bodies at different stages of life make them highly susceptible to thyroid problems. There are sharp fluctuations in the levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones in the female body during puberty, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause. The estrogen hormone is directly related to thyroid-binding globulin. When estrogen levels are uncontrolled, it disrupts the absorption and functioning of thyroid hormones. Especially after delivery, the problem of ‘postpartum thyroiditis’ is seen in many women, which the new mother often ignores considering it to be just normal fatigue of delivery.
The most common medical cause of thyroid disorders is autoimmune diseases. Autoimmunity is a condition in which the body’s own immune system gets confused and attacks its own healthy tissues and organs. The most common autoimmune conditions in women are Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (which causes hypothyroidism) and Graves’ disease (which causes hyperthyroidism). According to medical scientists, women have two X chromosomes (XX), many of which carry genes that control the immune system. Due to this genetic and biological makeup, women have a more aggressive immune system, making them more vulnerable to any autoimmune attack.
In today’s modern lifestyle, women have the double burden of taking care of the family, work pressure and multitasking. Continuous mental and physical stress keeps the level of ‘stress hormone’ i.e. cortisol continuously high in the body. Increased levels of cortisol confuse the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, inhibiting the production of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Additionally, excessive stress slows down the conversion of T4 hormone into active T3 hormone. Due to stress, the intestinal microbiome also weakens, due to which the absorption of nutrients stops and the thyroid gland does not get the necessary energy.
The thyroid gland requires micronutrients like iodine, selenium, zinc, iron and vitamin D to function smoothly. Indian women often suffer from anemia (iron deficiency) and severe vitamin D3 deficiency. Iron deficiency weakens the thyroid peroxidase enzyme, which is necessary for making hormones. Additionally, excessive crash dieting for weight loss, starvation habits and increased consumption of ultra-processed and packaged foods slow down the metabolism. Excessive unbalanced use of soy products and excessive consumption of raw cruciferous vegetables (e.g. cabbage, cauliflower) can also aggravate hormonal imbalance by causing goitrogenic effects in some cases.
Thyroid disorders often develop very slowly, due to which women dismiss their early signs as normal weakness. Major symptoms of hypothyroidism include unexplained weight gain, extreme tiredness and drowsiness all the time, rapid hair fall, dryness of the skin, constipation, feeling extremely cold and irregular or very heavy periods. On the other hand, in hyperthyroidism, symptoms like sudden weight loss, rapid heartbeat, tremors in hands, excessive sweating, nervousness and insomnia are seen. If even two or three of these symptoms persist, a simple blood test—thyroid profile (TSH, Free T3, Free T4)—should be done without delay.
To prevent thyroid and effectively manage it, it is essential to improve overall lifestyle along with medicines. Include pumpkin seeds, walnuts, soaked almonds, green leafy vegetables, pulses and seasonal fruits in your daily diet which supply selenium and zinc. At least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, brisk walking, or pranayam (especially Ujjayi Pranayam and Anulom-Vilom) every day is extremely helpful in improving blood circulation to the thyroid gland. Get 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night, limit excessive screen time and get your thyroid checked regularly every 6 months so that any disturbance can be detected at an early stage.