10 Aug Is Your Thyroid Secretly Sabotaging Your Ability To Conceive?
There is an important — albeit poorly explored — connection between thyroid health and fertility & conception. The small gland in the throat we call the thyroid is essential for regulating metabolism, blood calcium levels, energy production, fat metabolism, oxygen utilisation, weight management, and the homeostasis of other hormones. It’s not uncommon to see a variety of symptoms in different areas of the body when the thyroid is affected — and disruption to hormones and metabolism can greatly impact fertility.
Our fertility practitioner, Jacky Dixon finds that her clients’ thyroid health is often overlooked by doctors, and full thyroid panels are never performed as a part of standard pre-conception bloodwork. Even when thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is tested, normal results do not rule out the presence of positive thyroid antibodies, which increase the risk of miscarriage. Overall, it is estimated that 8-12% of miscarriages are attributable to thyroid endocrine dysfunction.
In a nutshell:
- Around 8-12% of miscarriages are attributable to thyroid endocrine dysfunction
- Thyroid health also impacts men’s fertility
- An unusual menstrual cycle or the absence of a period are potential signs of ill thyroid and fertility health
- Thyroid health is often overlooked by doctors during fertility blood work
Thyroid health for conception
During pregnancy, the mother’s thyroid hormone controls many aspects of fetal development, including DNA and RNA synthesis. In fact, many women take a natal supplement containing iodine during pregnancy because thyroid hormone production amplifies, as does the mother’s iodine requirements. For this reason, thyroid dysfunction can impact healthy fetal development, leading to miscarriage.
On top of this, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism can develop during pregnancy. Any dysfunction of thyroid health during pregnancy should be carefully monitored and treated if necessary to prevent any harm to the mother or the fetus.
The symptoms of poor thyroid health are varied, and because of thyroid hormone’s impact on many different body systems, symptoms can be experienced throughout the body. For example, some women may experience fatigue and weight gain, others may experience unusual menstrual cycles. In general, when managing thyroid health for conception, these are the things we typically look out for:
- An unusual menstrual cycle, reducing the chances of successful conception
- Amenorrhoea, the absence of menstruation
- An anovulatory cycle (a cycle where you menstruate but do not produce an egg). This is caused by a reduction in Leutinising Hormone, which is the hormone that stimulates egg release
- A short second half of the menstrual cycle (Luteal phase) due to the poor job by Luteinising Hormone, and therefore impacting progesterone levels (which are essential for egg fertilization and pregnancy maintenance)
- Lower basal body temperature — a specific temperature required for the embryo to grow.
All of these factors may affect a woman’s ability to conceive entirely, or her inability to maintain a healthy pregnancy to term.
Men’s thyroid and conception
Poor thyroid function does not just affect a woman’s ability to conceive, but can also affect men’s fertility. Thyroid dysfunction in men can lead to multiple changes in semen quality, including sperm count, volume, and motility. In addition to this, a poorly functioning thyroid can lead to erectile dysfunction and low libido, which also reduces the chances of successful conception.
When to get help trying to conceive
If you have been trying to conceive for 6 months without success, we recommend getting checked by a doctor or naturopath to assess the state of your fertility and thyroid health. A full medical history will give the clinician a lot of information about whether or not your thyroid health may be playing a role in your fertility, and any necessary blood work can diagnose thyroid disease. Early intervention in thyroid disease may increase the chances of conception, especially as many with poor thyroid health fly under the radar due to inefficient testing of thyroid hormones.
If you would like to book in to see Jacky Dixon (our fertility expert) or another practitioner about your thyroid health or fertility, go directly to our booking engine at the link below.
