Hypothyroidism And Infertility

Hypothyroidism is the underproduction of the thyroid hormone. This condition can be the reason for infertility in either sex. The thyroid gland is responsible for producing this hormone, which has a direct affect on the regulation of ovulation and the menstrual cycle.

Uh Oh

Thyroid disease is known by most as something that can prevent conception. A great number of women when receiving a diagnosis of thyroid disease immediately wonder if this will affect their ability to conceive. At the first sign of trouble, physicians will often test for hypothyroidism. In this disease, there is often not enough time between the time of ovulation and the menstrual period to allow for conception to occur.

While infertility specialists don't have a complete picture of how thyroid function affects fertility, they know that the thyroid can create problems with the reproductive system. In men, hypothyroidism can cause lowered sperm counts and may reduce the lifetime of sperm. However, hypothyroidism is treatable.

While hypothyroidism may cause trouble conceiving, once a woman does become pregnant, her male partner's disease will not affect her pregnancy. However, if it is the female who has hypothyroidism, she will have a higher risk for miscarriage. Treatments are available and the advice of a health care professional should be sought.

Increase Metabolism

Prior to becoming pregnant, the treatment goal in both sexes is to replace the missing thyroid hormone to help increase the body's metabolism. It may take several months of medical supervision to determine the proper dose for thyroid replacement. Your physician should be able to help you regulate your menses or raise the male partner's sperm count.

The affect of unusual thyroid levels will affect each person in a different manner, so too, treatment will vary from person to person. In general, the commonest form of treatment for a deficiency of thyroid is thyroid in pill form. It's very tricky to obtain the right dosage and your doctor will have to adjust and readjust until he determines just the right level of medication. It's pretty much an art as well as an exact science.

As estrogen levels fluctuate, there may be a concurrent fluctuation in thyroid function. This is the reason that hypothyroidism requires careful medical supervision. It's possible that doses of thyroid hormone may need to be adjusted at the 6th week of pregnancy, so prenatal checkups should be scheduled no earlier than the 6th week but no later than the 12th week of pregnancy. In this manner, you'll get the most accurate picture of how your dose should be adjusted for pregnancy.

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