Thyroid hormones produced in thyroid glands control many of our activities in body, including how fast our heart beats or how fast one can burn calories.

Thyroid diseases mean thyroid cause it to make either too much or too little of the hormone. Depending on the amount of hormone one’s thyroid gland makes, one might feel restless or fatigue or one can lose of gain weight. Women are more likely than men to have this disease especially right after pregnancy or during or after menopause. The two types of thyroid diseases in women are Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Graves’ disease causes the thyroid to produce an excess of thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism). It usually occurs between ages 30 and 50 . It can also occur at any age. It appears seven to eight times more frequently in women then in men. Women who suffer from Grave’s conditions will have a Graves’ ophthalmopathy, which causes bulging, puffy or inflamed eyes and light sensitivity, double vision, and eye pain. If left untreated, Graves’ disease can cause serious problems, including thinning bones and osteoporosis and heart-related problems.

In Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid. This results in less hormone production from the gland. Underactive thyroid gland called hypothyroidism causes fatigue, tired all the time for no visible reasons, dry skin, puffy face, constipation, feeling depressed, dry thinning hair, hoarse voice, muscle weakness, high LDL cholesterol, slowed metabolism etc.

Treatment: For hypothyroidism, generally hormone pills are given for ret of the life. For hyperthyroidism, blocking thyroid from making additional hormone, surgery to remove most or all the thyroid, beta-blockers treatment to reduce thyroid hormones level.

Reference: https://www.womenshealth.gov/

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