Thyroid Symptoms in Men vs. Women

(Tina Dawn/ VM Med) –– As small as your thyroid is, it has the capacity to affect your entire health and life in so many ways. The butterfly-shaped gland can profoundly impact your body by producing thyroid hormone (TH), which is responsible for keeping your metabolism, heartbeat, energy levels, and so much more in check.

While thyroid disorders can affect both men and women, the symptoms of a thyroid disorder can often look substantially different for each gender. Knowing what the symptoms look like can help someone detect a problem and promptly seek medical advice, leading to both a quicker diagnosis and an eventual treatment plan.

Signs of a Thyroid Disorder

While both men and women can experience thyroid issues, and can often have the exact same symptoms, there are also some very specific signs that men and women uniquely experience.

General symptoms of a thyroid disorder that are common to both tend to be fatigue, weight changes, changes in bowel habits, changes in skin and hair, mood changes, temperature intolerance, and muscle aches and pains.

Both men and women can experience any of these symptoms if they are suffering from hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism (also known as an underactive thyroid) is when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones, while hyperthyroidism (also known as overactive thyroid) is when the thyroid gland produces too many thyroid hormones. In both cases, a thyroid imbalance can produce issues that, depending on your age, may be hard to notice.

An overactive thyroid could make you sensitive to heat, cause weight loss, and lead to diarrhea. An underactive thyroid, on the other hand, could have you feeling sensitive to cold, gaining weight, and experiencing constipation. Since so many symptoms of a thyroid disorder overlap with other common everyday symptoms, it can be easy to misdiagnose or even overlook symptoms.

A blood test, more specifically a thyroid function test, is the only way you can accurately diagnose thyroid problems, as it measures hormone levels to assess your overall thyroid function.  

Once a diagnosis has been received, most people will need regular follow-up visits with their healthcare provider to monitor their condition.

How Thyroid Symptoms Differ Depending on Gender

Aside from the general symptoms of thyroid disorders that both men and women experience, there are also specific symptoms unique to women and men.

For example, women will experience heavy or light menstrual periods or even the absence of periods altogether if they’re suffering from thyroid problems.

Thyroid issues can interfere with a woman’s ovulation and fertility, leading to possible fertility issues and difficulty conceiving.

Women also have an increased risk of thyroid disorders, notably hypothyroidism and Graves’ disease (a type of hyperthyroidism).

Men, on the other hand, will sometimes experience thyroid issues a little differently. They may notice low libido or even erectile dysfunction, since hypothyroidism can affect testosterone levels, leading to sexual dysfunction. In some cases, men will have difficulty climaxing and ejaculating, or even suffer from premature ejaculation.

Due to the same reasons, men may experience fatigue and a loss of muscle mass. In older men, this can even lead to hip and spine fractures.

Some men may even notice male breast enlargement, due to thyroid problems. This is known as Gynecomastia. A sudden loss of hair may also be a sign of a thyroid disorder.

Muscle and joint pain are also associated with an underactive thyroid in many men.

Infertility, too, can be a symptom, as a thyroid disorder may affect both one’s sperm count and the quality of their sperm.

Thyroid Nodules: Men vs Women

A thyroid nodule is a hard or soft lump that develops within the thyroid gland. While the majority of nodules are benign, there are more cases of thyroid cancer in women than in men. 

Since women are more likely to have thyroid nodules, their thyroid cancer rate is higher. However, nodules are more likely to be cancerous in men due to the lower likelihood of men developing nodules. Doctors aren’t certain why thyroid nodules are more prevalent in women but suspect that hormones play a role.

The symptoms of a thyroid nodule –hoarseness in your throat, the sensation of a lump in your throat, difficulty swallowing, voice changes, pain in the front of the neck—tend to be the same in both men and women.

Factors that increase the likelihood of a thyroid nodule are: old age, a family history of thyroid issues or thyroid cancer, iodine deficiency, and exposure to radiation. Your doctor can recommend an ultrasound or a fine-needle aspiration biopsy to determine if the nodule is benign or cancerous.

According to Yale Medicine, between 50 percent and 65 percent of healthy people have thyroid nodules. Many nodules don’t cause symptoms or health problems. Only 5 percent of nodules are linked to an overactive or underactive thyroid, and only 10 percent of nodules are found to be cancerous.

In the unlikely case that a thyroid nodule turns out to be thyroid cancer, it’s important to know that this type of cancer is one of the most treatable kinds there is. Your healthcare provider will recommend surgery to remove the gland. This procedure usually addresses the problem, since a recurrence of cancer or the possibility of it spreading is quite uncommon.

Women, Thyroid Problems and Fertility

Women are five to eight times more likely to experience thyroid problems than men, according to the American Thyroid Association (ATA). If you’re a woman of reproductive age and living with a thyroid disorder, you already know that thyroid issues can alter your menstrual cycle, and that thyroid hormones are involved in conception.

Research has shown that thyroid problems, especially hypothyroidism or thyroid autoimmunity (in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland), are more common among women struggling with infertility compared to the general population.

If you know that you have hypothyroidism and want to become pregnant, you need to work closely with your doctor to make sure your hypothyroidism is under control. You may also seek out the advice of an infertility specialist.

If you become pregnant, you should inform your doctor immediately since your thyroid hormone levels will have to be monitored closely during your pregnancy to ensure that your baby develops normally and that the risk of miscarriage remains low.

VM Med Thyroid Center

VM Med’s Thyroid Center offers patients excellent and timely care. Our team supports every aspect of our patients’ thyroid health throughout their lives. Our specialists will propose a plan of action that prioritizes your health and comfort throughout the entire process.

The centre offers thyroid imaging (including scans, ultrasound, scintigraphy etc.), thyroid biopsy, thyroid surgery, thyroid cancer staging, and even thyroid cancer genetic testing, among other services. VM Med specialists are highly experienced in all facets of thyroid and parathyroid diseases, including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, goiters, and thyroid cancer.

For more information on your screening and treatment, you can read our extensive archive of VM Med blogs, including What Are Early Warning Signs of Thyroid Problems? or How The Thyroid Impacts Women, Hormones, and Menstruation.

Still have questions? Book a consultation with our experts.