Thyroid problems have an extremely negative impact on the sexual life of the majority of sufferers. Yet few of them are followed accordingly.
Weight gain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, constipation, intolerance to cold… Thyroid problems are manifested by a multitude of symptoms. Among them, sexual concerns are very real, but poorly identified by the medical profession, and therefore poorly treated.
Located at the base of the neck, the thyroid is a small gland controlled by the pituitary gland. Sometimes it produces too many hormones, causing hyperthyroidism. Conversely, hypothyroidism is the inability of the thyroid gland to produce enough thyroid hormones.
Thyroid hormones are very important because they regulate the metabolism of cells in our body, control muscle energy and body temperature, modify mood, affect heart rate and motricity of the digestive tract, have a role in the use and transformation of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins from food, and participate in the growth and development of the body in children. Thyroid dysfunctions affect nearly 10% of the French population.
premature ejaculation
A new study, published in Sexual Medicine Reviews, indicates that among patients with hypothyroidism, 63% of men and 46% of women experience sexual difficulties. In patients with hyperthyroidism, these figures rise to 77% in men and 60% in women.
Erectile dysfunction and ejaculatory disorders were the most common problems for men with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. Difficult ejaculation was more associated with hypothyroidism, while premature ejaculation was more associated with hyperthyroidism.
In women, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism were associated with too low libido, problems with arousal and lubrication, difficulty reaching orgasm, and pain during intercourse. Overall, women with thyroid problems are unhappy with their sex life.
Well-designed studies are lacking
Hormonal disturbances caused by thyroid problems largely explain the disruption of sex life. Fatigue, depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which are very common among this population of patients, amplify the problem.
“Unfortunately, well-designed studies that describe the prevalence, pathophysiology, and outcome of patients with sexual dysfunction in the setting of thyroid disease are sorely lacking,” the authors lament.
Diagnosis, nodules, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, treatment and side effects, Levothyrox scandal… Dr Magali Caucol-André, endocrinologist at the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital in Paris, was the guest of our program “Questions aux experts” on October 3, 2018 and responded live to questions from Why Doctor subscribers about thyroid disorders.
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