As of: January 22, 2024, 5:18 a.m
By: Jasmina Deshmeh
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Menopausal symptoms are similar to those of thyroid disease.
How doctors determine the cause and what needs to be taken into account when treating menopause.
The thyroid is a small organ with a major influence on metabolism and the psyche.
According to experts at the German Thyroid Center,
one in three people in Germany will develop
a pathological thyroid change over the course of their life.
The older we get, the greater the risk becomes.
Thyroid disease often presents with symptoms such as sweating, weight gain and fatigue.
Symptoms that also occur during menopause (climacteric) and can easily be confused.
A blood test at the doctor will clarify things.
Thyroid diseases increase with age
Thyroid dysfunction increases with age, especially in women.
According to the
Professional Association of German Nuclear Medicine Doctors (BDN),
a third of women over 45 have thyroid abnormalities.
“We know that the risk of thyroid inflammation increases with increasing age and especially with menopause,” says BDN expert and nuclear medicine specialist Professor Dr.
med.
Matthias Schmidt (University of Cologne).
Worn out and tired?
This symptom can be due to menopause, but also a thyroid disease (symbolic image).
© Pond5 Images/Imago
The problem: many symptoms of thyroid disease are similar to menopausal symptoms, and the dysfunction can easily be overlooked during hormonal changes.
According to the
German Society for Endocrinology,
an underactive thyroid can cause fatigue, weight changes, skin changes and thinning hair; an overactive thyroid is often accompanied by heavy sweating, restlessness and nervousness as well as sleep disorders and weight loss.
Symptoms that also occur during menopause.
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According to the Federal Association of Gynecologists (BVF),
typical signs of menopause are
:
slight head pressure, discomfort
Hot flashes with sweats and chills
Disturbances of the sleep-wake rhythm, fatigue
dry mucous membranes
Intermenstrual bleeding
depressive mood, irritability, nervousness
Problems remembering things and difficulty concentrating
Muscle and joint pain
Weight gain, especially around the stomach
thinning and dry skin, pigment spots
Thinning scalp hair, increased facial hair
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Thyroid problems can increase menopausal symptoms
Only a visit to the doctor can clarify whether the menopause is causing the symptoms or a thyroid disease.
Women with corresponding symptoms should see a gynecologist and a thyroid specialist.
A thyroid disease not only manifests itself through warning signals similar to those of menopause, it can also worsen menopausal symptoms, emphasizes Schmidt.
“The nuclear medicine doctor then checks the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) with a blood test and examines the thyroid with ultrasound, possibly also with scintigraphy,” he explains.
If the values indicate hypothyroidism, doctors prescribe hormone tablets.
Special features of therapy during menopause
Due to the hormonal changes, diseases of the heart (coronary heart disease) and bones (bone fractures, osteoporosis) increase in women during menopause.
An additional thyroid disease can further increase the risk of these diseases, as the
German Thyroid Center
informs.
Especially if you have an overactive thyroid.
Thyroxine tablets should therefore initially be given in low doses for menopausal patients - depending on tolerability.
It's different when women are treated with hormone replacement therapy to relieve menopausal symptoms.
The hormones taken influence the effect of the thyroid hormones, so that the need for thyroxine can increase.
Experts from the German Menopause Society
recommend that women with hypothyroidism who are already taking thyroxine should have their thyroid levels checked after twelve weeks when starting hormone replacement therapy and adjust the dose if necessary .
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editorial team is not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.