The thyroid gland can affect menstruation if it is overactive or underactive. Overactive thyroid can cause irregular and light periods, while underactive thyroid can lead to heavy and frequent periods. Other problems include amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, menorrhagia, and dysmenorrhea.
The thyroid is a gland located in the neck that creates the hormones responsible for the normal functioning of the metabolism. The connection between the thyroid and menstruation varies depending on whether a woman’s thyroid is working normally, working too much, or not working enough. If the thyroid is functioning as it should, it will most likely have no effect on a woman’s menstrual cycle. An overactive thyroid, also known as “overactive,” or an underactive thyroid, known as “underactive,” can lead to both abnormal menstrual cycles and other problems.
When a person’s thyroid is overactive, it is referred to as hyperthyroidism. As a result of this condition, a woman’s thyroid may produce more hormones than her body needs. Girls who have an overactive thyroid and problems with menstruation may not get their periods before age 15. Women who experience this problem will normally have very irregular and very light periods.
When referring to the thyroid and menstruation, too much thyroid hormone often means that a woman can develop amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea. The problem of amenorrhea refers to the complete absence of a menstrual cycle in a woman. There are two different types of amenorrhea; the first is called primary amenorrhea, in which a woman has never developed a period, and the other is secondary amenorrhea, in which a woman’s menstrual cycle starts, but then stops. Oligomenorrhea, on the other hand, is the condition of infrequent periods, diagnosed when a woman has only six to eight periods in an entire year.
Another problem that occurs due to the connection between the thyroid and menstruation is hypothyroidism. In this condition, the thyroid does not produce enough of the hormones the body needs, so the metabolism becomes much slower. Many girls who have this problem start their period before the age of ten. This condition can lead to symptoms such as weight gain, fatigue, depression and mood swings and will often lead to heavy periods and periods occurring much more often than they normally should.
Women who suffer from thyroid and menstrual problems sometimes develop a problem known as menorrhagia. With this problem, a woman’s periods can become much heavier and last longer. Another problem that can occur is dysmenorrhea, which causes extremely painful periods. This problem can cause severe cramping and pain in a woman’s arms, legs, back, and head. Problems with a person’s intestines can also occur from dysmenorrhea, causing irregular bowel movements.
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