In the United States, more than 20% of the women in menopause are diagnosed with hypothyroidism – a sluggish thyroid. Women need to understand the consequences of menopause on the thyroid, as with the increase in age, more women are affected by hypothyroidism. Menopause and hypothyroidism have common symptoms, such as depressed mood, decreased energy and decreased memory, among others. Often these symptoms are taken to be due to menopause, leading to delayed diagnosis of hypothyroidism.
Hormones in women’s bodies are balanced delicately and hormonal imbalance occurs during pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause. In the time leading up to menopause, the clockwork menstrual cycles may begin to become erratic. This could be because of highs and lows in estrogen and progesterone.
Hypothyroidism, which is seven times more often associated with women than with men, also occurs because of hormonal imbalance. Certain doctors feel that estrogen dominance – excess of estrogen combined with low progesterone – typically occurs in early perimenopause. They feel restricting estrogen dominance prevents complications in perimenopause, including...