Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism: know the difference between the problems –

Women are the target audience for the main problems that affect the thyroid. For every ten diagnosed with hypothyroidismonly one man has the disease.

Science has not yet come to a consensus on the reason for this predominance in females, but it is known that the incidence of thyroid problems increases as you go from age to age. 30 years, due to hormonal fluctuations. The causes often have genetic originbut it’s good to know that lifestyle and food are playing increasingly important roles in this story.

Thyroid: the body’s battery

The thyroid is in the neck, just below the Adam’s apple, which tends to be more prominent in men. And, according to physician Laura Ward, a professor at unicamp and vice-president of the thyroid department of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabology (SBEM), she is the one who provides energy so that your machine does not stop. “The thyroid produces the hormones T3 (triidothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine), which control the activity of vital organs and interfere with weight, the menstrual cycle, reasoning, bowel work and muscle strength,” he explains.

Extra pounds: is it the thyroid?

Gaining weight from your thyroid can happen, but not always.

The gland is governed by the pituitary gland, which secretes hormones throughout the body. One of them is TSH, which stimulates the thyroid to produce T3 and T4. When she manufactures these hormones in insufficient quantity, hypothyroidism occurs, which makes the body slower, as if working with less energy: fatigue increases, muscles become more sensitive, weak nails and difficult concentration. The metabolism also slows down, hence the difficulty in losing weight. But doctors claim that hypothyroidism does not justify more than 5% of cases of patients who seek an endocrinologist because of overweight.

hypothyroidism

It is common to confuse the symptoms of this dysfunction with reflections of our lifestyle. That’s where the danger lies: with that, many people stop looking for the doctor, thinking that the signs will pass, and postpone the solution of a possible problem. Know the most common characteristics of hypothyroidism and check if you have any of them. If you score more than three, see your doctor and ask for a TSH dosage test.

Feeling tired and weak Discouragement Difficulty concentrating and memory failures Frequent cramps Weak nails Hair loss Dry skin Irregularities in the menstrual cycle Exaggerated sensitivity to cold Gain of up to 5 kilos (without having changed your habits)

Hyperthyroidism

When there is overproduction of hormones due to increased thyroid function, the opposite happens: hyperthyroidism, which, however, is much less common – among women, about 3% have the disease. In it, the symptoms are opposite: tachycardia, insomnia, excessive hunger and sweat, weight loss and intestinal disarrangement, for example.

balance diet

Keeping an eye on your diet is one of the best strategies to keep your thyroid under control and prevent problems. Functional nutritionist Daniela Jobst, from São Paulo, reveals which nutrients cannot be missing for this purpose: iodine and selenium. “These minerals are raw material for the production of thyroid hormones”, he warns. “Their deficiency in everyday life may favor the deceleration of the gland.”

She remembers that iodine is in seaweed (the one with temaki, for example, which can also be mixed with salad, cut into small pieces) and in the Seafood. And selenium is found mainly in Brazil nutbut it is also in nutsus mushrooms it is us whole grains.

On the other hand, some eating habits of today are real enemies. “Excess salt, sugar, saturated fats and refined and industrialized foods affect the thyroid and impair the production of hormones”, says Daniela.

She completes with a very easy tip to protect this very powerful gland: never skip breakfast. “At the beginning of the day, there is a spike in the production of cortisol, a hormone that damages the thyroid. Including whole grain carbohydrates with your first meal is a way to control cortisol levels in your body and prevent it from doing damage.”