By Dr. Melissa (Mel) Irvine, DNP – Clinical Sexologist
Specializes in Sexual Medicine and Beauty
Just like the post office workers chatting in between runs, the chemical messengers in your body—hormones—also influence each other. They’re not distinct entities, and while each type of hormone may have its own list of specific tasks, its levels can affect other hormones in your body and then their ability to carry out their tasks.
Thyroid hormones and sex hormones are two well-known types of hormones, and they may have a greater influence on each other than you think. In fact, if you’re seeing challenges associated with low or high levels of sex hormones, it may be due to your thyroid hormone levels.
How Thyroid Function Relates to Sex Hormones
Research has shown that hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism (producing too little or too much thyroid hormones, respectively) have been associated with sex hormone concentrations and, more specifically, sexual dysfunction.
The reason for this connection has to do with the interrelationship between thyroid hormones and sex hormones. Specifically, thyroid hormones regulate the bioavailability of sex hormones, so if there is thyroid dysfunction, there may be an imbalance in the concentrations of bioavailable sex hormones, leading to ovulatory or erectile dysfunction. For women, this results in menstrual irregularities or menopause, while for men, it can lead to difficulty getting and maintaining an erection.
The connection exists in the opposite manner, as well. Estrogen therapy has been shown to increase the need for thyroid hormone, and this is because estrogen increases the production of thyroid-binding globulin in the liver, which causes more thyroid hormones to bind, reducing their availability and leading to symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Progesterone can also influence thyroid levels. Namely, it influences thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, with studies showing that it can decrease TSH levels and increase FreeT4 levels.
As for how thyroid problems may manifest in your sex life, there are a few pathways.
First, low thyroid levels can lower vaginal lubrication, making sex uncomfortable and unsatisfying. Thyroid issues can also lower testosterone levels, lowering libido in those of either gender. Hyper- and hypothyroidism can also contribute to fatigue and depression, both of which can further lower your sex drive.
Issues with the thyroid can also affect how long it takes a man to ejaculate. Hyperthyroidism can cause premature ejaculation, while hypothyroidism can result in delayed ejaculation.
Knowing these influences, thyroid hormone issues can lead to difficulty with fertility, whether because you or your partner lack a desire to be intimate or cannot ejaculate. Issues with the thyroid can also cause irregularities in a woman’s menstrual cycle, which can further cause issues with fertility.
In order to maintain optimal levels of your sexual hormones, one area to monitor is your thyroid hormone levels.
How to Optimize Thyroid Function
Hormone levels require maintenance in an optimal range in order to communicate throughout the body as needed. If your thyroid is producing too much or too little hormone, it can manifest in your metabolism, but it can also affect your sex hormones, causing issues that extend beyond the thyroid’s area of expertise.
In order to support your sex hormones, it’s important to optimize thyroid function.
Fuel Up
Within the body is the diet-gut-thyroid axis, which makes it so that nutrition and thyroid function are closely linked. As such, the foods that you eat can influence your gut, which then impacts your thyroid as a result of immunological regulation and nutrient absorption. If your nutritional profile is imbalanced, thyroid dysfunction can occur.
Knowing this, it’s important to eat a balanced diet that is rich in thyroid-boosting nutrients, such as:
. Iodine
. Selenium
. Zinc
. Iron
. Magnesium
. Copper
. Vitamin B12
. Vitamin A
These nutrients influence thyroid hormone synthesis and regulation—if they’re lacking in your diet, your body may not be able to keep up its thyroid hormone levels. However, it’s also important that you don’t consume too much, as this can also cause issues. If you’re ever curious about what nutrition to focus on, reach out to a specialist for personalized guidance.
Besides upping your intake of these key nutrients, you can also be more mindful of the foods you avoid. Namely, a higher consumption of ultra-processed foods has been associated with a higher risk of hyperthyroidism. To promote your thyroid’s health, try to avoid ultra-processed foods such as packaged snacks, cereal, candy, and soda.
Exercise Regularly
There are numerous benefits to exercising regularly, even for your thyroid. Specifically, for those whose thyroid overproduces, daily exercise may help to lower thyroid hormone levels.
Other studies have found that exercising at your maximum capacity can help raise levels of T4, fT4, and TSH. One study even found that for women with hypothyroidism, aerobic training, resistance training, and a combination of both all helped to improve T4 levels.
These studies show that your exercise type and frequency can influence how much thyroid hormone is circulating; depending on whether your thyroid is over – or under-producing, you can modify your workout schedule to support your thyroid’s production, using exercise to give it a boost without overdoing it.
Beyond the direct effects of exercising, its indirect effects, such as managing weight and improving blood sugar control, can help mitigate other qualities that may negatively affect your thyroid, further optimizing its function.
While exercise can help your thyroid, it’s important to ease into it, especially if you suffer from hypothyroidism, which can cause joint pain and fatigue. By starting slow, your body can adjust to the training, lowering your risk of injury.
Get Some Sleep
Research has shown that your sleep can significantly affect your thyroid function. Specifically, sleep strongly affects your thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), with both sleep quality and duration playing a role.
Unfortunately, problems with your thyroid can cause sleep problems, with both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism linked to difficulty sleeping. Knowing this, it’s especially important to prioritize your sleep to break the cycle of imbalanced thyroid function and preserve its health in the days to come.
Some ways that you can improve your sleep include:
. Find the right temperature. Hyperthyroidism can cause night sweats, while hypothyroidism can decrease your cold tolerance, so take some time to find your ideal temperature for sleep.
. Improve your sleep hygiene. Set your nights up for success by following a consistent sleep/wake schedule, relaxing before bed, and avoiding electronics before bed.
. Avoid late-night snacks. Eating something heavy before bed can disrupt your sleep, so try to avoid snacking; if you’re hungry, opt for something light.
Have Your Thyroid Checked Regularly
Sometimes, your thyroid may be sending out warning signals that something is amiss, but they remain undetected or attributed to something else. In order to detect thyroid issues early, it’s best to undergo periodic check-ups to monitor its functionality. The sooner issues are detected, the sooner you can intervene to optimize its output.
Maintain a Healthy Body Weight
There are many advantages to keeping your body weight in a healthy range, especially for your thyroid. Specifically, the more you weigh, the more thyroid hormone your body requires, which creates opportunities for insufficiency and hypothyroidism. To help your thyroid meet your body’s needs, focus on maintaining a healthy body weight through a balanced diet and regular exercise.
When to See a Doctor
Hormone imbalances can often go undetected, causing your body to suffer unnecessarily. As such, it’s helpful to know the signs of thyroid hormone imbalance so that you know when to see a doctor.
If you have any of the following symptoms, consider having your thyroid function checked:
. A lump in your thyroid gland or a swollen neck
. Anxiety or depression
. Significant weight changes despite a regular diet and exercise regimen
. Thinning of hair or skin changes
. Tremors or palpitations
. Menstrual cycle irregularities
. Constant fatigue, no matter your sleep habits
. Changes in bowel habits
. Issues with tolerating heat or cold
Thyroid and Sex Hormones:
An Unexpected Connection
While the thyroid and ovaries/testes may seem immensely different, they both produce hormones that can affect each other. Thyroid hormones can influence the bioavailability of sex hormones, creating an abundance or deficit that can then contribute to sexual dysfunction. Similarly, too much sex hormone, such as estrogen, can lower the amount of circulating thyroid hormones, while progesterone increases its availability.
Knowing the interrelationships between thyroid hormones and sex hormones, it’s clear that a priority for the optimization of one should be finding balance in the other. Some ways that you can support the health of your thyroid include eating a thyroid-supporting diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a healthy weight. It can also be helpful to have your thyroid checked periodically, especially if you display any symptoms of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
By working on balancing your thyroid hormones, the other areas of your body, including your sex hormones, will have an easier time maintaining balance, as well.
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