Thyroid disorders are increasing in younger women, especially because of stress, poor lifestyle, sleep disturbance, and nutritional imbalance. The good thing is that with early diagnosis and proper treatment, most women can conceive naturally or with fertility support successfully. Doctors always tell patients: don’t ignore persistent fatigue, sudden weight gain, hair fall, irregular cycles, or repeated delays in periods. Sometimes the body gives signals much earlier than we think.
“Many women don’t realise that even a small thyroid imbalance can quietly affect fertility for months or sometimes years before getting diagnosed. We often see patients coming for difficulty in conception, irregular periods, repeated miscarriages, or unexplained weight changes, and on evaluation, thyroid turns out to be one of the hidden reasons. Thyroid hormones play a very important role in ovulation, menstrual regularity, and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. If the thyroid is underactive or overactive, the body’s reproductive hormones can get disturbed,” says Dr Richika Sahay Shukla, Co-Founder & Medical Director, India IVF Fertility.
Unexplained weight changes, fatigue, and hair loss
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“Thyroid hormones play a critical role in every stage of motherhood, from conception to foetal brain development. Uncontrolled thyroid disorders during pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage, premature delivery, high blood pressure, and low birth weight. Women planning pregnancy must not ignore symptoms like unexplained weight changes, fatigue, hair loss, mood swings, or irregular menstrual cycles. A simple thyroid screening can help detect the problem early and significantly improve fertility and pregnancy outcomes,” says Dr Prosun Bera, IVF Specialist & Gynae Laparoscopic Surgeon, Neotia Bhagirathi Woman & Child Care Centre, Newtown, Kolkata.
“Thyroid disorders are being noticed more and more, as this kind of big yet somehow still overlooked issue connected to women’s fertility and reproductive well-being. You know, both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can throw off hormonal equilibrium, mess with ovulation, and cause those irregular menstrual patterns, so getting pregnant becomes harder. A lot of time women just see it as “normal” life stuff and they notice things like tiredness, unexplained shifts in body weight, mood swings, or heavy and uneven bleeding but they don’t always connect it to a thyroid imbalance that’s quietly steering the whole situation,” says Dr Ghoniya Disha Rameshbhai, Consultant Obs and Gynae, Kailash Hospital, Greater Noida.
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“Thyroid imbalance can affect the menstrual and reproductive health of women. Worldwide, 20-25 % of women in the reproductive age group with hyperthyroidism (excess thyroid hormone) and hypothyroidism (less thyroid hormones) have abnormal flow (low or high) and irregular cycles, with some studies in India reporting a much higher figure,” says Dr Anil Menon, Professor and HOD Endocrinology at DPU Super Specialty Hospital, Pimpri, Pune.
Dr Menon says, “A normal thyroid function is also essential for women who seek assisted reproduction technology for conception. Pregnant women with overt hypothyroidism tend to have increased risk of fetal loss, elevated blood pressure, preterm delivery, low birth weight, stillbirths, and increased risk of postpartum hemorrhage. There is an increased risk of congenital anomalies in the baby in babies born to mothers with hypothyroidism. Pregnant women with hyperthyroidism have an increased risk of maternal complications similar to those of women with hypothyroidism. A consensus statement of the Indian Thyroid Society (2021) advises universal screening of all antenatal women for hypothyroidism in the first trimester of pregnancy.”
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It is worth considering that thyroid testing is considered essential in pre-conception care for women who have a family history of this disease, experience recurrent miscarriages or suffer from menstrual disorders. One of the good news is that with the help of proper medical intervention along with a few changes in everyday life and regular monitoring, most fertility issues associated with thyroid problems can be addressed, and it will even increase chances of successful conception and pregnancy.
(This article is meant for informational purposes only and must not be considered a substitute for advice provided by qualified medical professionals. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about medical conditions.)
