Sometimes if you have been trying to fall pregnant and
have been unsuccessful for more than six months, it may be worth getting your
thyroid checked. Optimal thyroid function is crucial for both men and women
when it comes to fertility.Why is it so crucial?
The thyroid is the gland in the body that controls your metabolism. Your metabolism is what breaks down food and converts it into energy to be used in the body. The metabolism also controls the brain and digestive system, your blood pressure and how fast your heart beats. Every cell in the body needs the thyroid hormone to function.
(Photo Thanks Andrew Apperley - Burst)
What causes thyroid imbalances?
There are some prescription medications, such as those
that are taken to lower cholesterol, and steroids that can block the thyroids
function. Also, if there is a low level of the mineral iodine in your body,
this can throw off the thyroid function as it is essential in producing the
thyroid hormone.
Symptoms
Symptoms can include but are not limited to:
·
Skipped or irregular periods
·
Clotting and heavy bleeding
·
Unexplained weight gain or difficulty
losing weight
·
Fatigue
Around 25% of women who have been previously diagnosed
with unexplained infertility may have Hypothyroidism which is when there is low
Thyroid hormone synthesis. Hypothyroidism may reduce the levels of
Luteinising hormone and Follicle Stimulating Hormone. These hormones are
essential for the maturation of egg follicles as well as your ovaries.
The most important female hormones are Oestrogen and Progesterone which need to
be in balance for optimal fertility. If Progesterone levels fall,
Oestrogen levels rise and this then creates an imbalance which causes Oestrogen
dominance. With oestrogen dominance the liver begins to produce what is called
TBG or Thyroid Binding Globulin this then prevents Thyroid hormone from being used
properly in your cells causing low thyroid function.
Testing your thyroid
Sometimes when you are sent for a blood test it can be
misleading. Blood tests which only measure the amount of Thyroid Stimulating
Hormone (TSH) are basically incomplete and may been interpreted as normal by
your GP. You need to be tested for your levels of T4 and T3 as well to get the
complete picture of what is happening.
If you don’t have enough T4 and T3, the Thyroid Stimulating
Hormone result will be high, but your Thyroid Stimulating Hormone level will be
low if you have an excess of T4 and T3. There is also the fact that the
amount of hormone actually being assimilated into each of your cells can be
abnormal due to the presence of Thyroid Binding Globulin. This means that you
may not be converting the inactive T4 into the active T3.
A thorough Thyroid Function Test should be checking your
levels of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, T4, T3, reverse T3 and autoantibodies,
which are an autoimmune disease indicator.
If these tests are not done properly and you are
suffering from Oestrogen dominance you may be told that everything looks normal
when is reality an under functioning Thyroid can have a significant impact on
your ability to conceive.
