Discover what you need to know about thyroid health and fertility

Did you know that thyroid disorders are five to eight times more common among women than men? This can be a problem for women who are trying to conceive. That’s because there is a link between thyroid health and fertility. Thankfully, Fertility Specialists of Texas is home to experienced Dallas-Fort Worth fertility specialists who can provide treatment and support.

What are the types of thyroid disorders?

It makes sense to talk about the types of thyroid disorders before exploring the link between thyroid health and fertility.

Hyperthyroidism means the thyroid gland is overactive and a patient’s thyroid hormone levels are higher than normal. This condition often comes with symptoms like weight loss, increased appetite, heat intolerance and anxiety. It can also cause a woman to have lighter or fewer menstrual cycles, which can interfere with ovulation.

Hypothyroidism is the exact opposite of hyperthyroidism. An underactive thyroid gland leads to lower levels of thyroid hormone in the body. It can cause women to feel cold, deal with constipation and weight gain, and experience fatigue. It can also cause heavy menstrual bleeding.

Exploring the link between thyroid health and fertility

Now that you have a basic understanding of thyroid disorders, it’s time to talk about thyroid health and fertility. When a woman has problems with her thyroid, it can do more than just interfere with the production and regulation of thyroid hormone. It can also impact other hormones that control ovulation, fertilization and implantation. This means it’s more difficult to get pregnant naturally.

For these reasons, our Dallas-Fort Worth fertility specialists routinely check thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) as part of fertility bloodwork. If your results reveal potential thyroid issues, the good news is that treating the problem often helps restore fertility. If thyroid treatment isn’t enough to help you conceive, our team can develop a customized fertility treatment plan that can.

If you’d like to learn more about how our team can help make pregnancy and parenthood possible, contact us to schedule a consultation.