I'm bringing this very important matter to your attention today because there is a very real connection between thyroid disorders and slow healing of our fallopian tubes, and slow or no healing of our bodies, in general.
I was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism. My TSH was very high at 14.1 when I was diagnosed about a month ago. I found this out after demanding my doctor check all of my hormone levels for fertility. The normal range is thought to be from 0.5 to 5 (some groups have recommended narrowing the reference range from 0.3 to 3). So mine was very high indeed. I have had many of the symptoms of hypothyroid for a very very long time...like at least ten years. So, I have likely gone undiagnosed and untreated for a very long time.
According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, some groups estimate that 27 million Americans have thyroid disease, and about 13 million of them are UNDIAGNOSED. And this is with the older range of 0.5 to 5 tsh. With the more recent range of 0.3 to 3, the estimation is more like 60 million Americans having thyroid disease, and accordingly, 30 million of them being UNDIAGNOSED!!
So, why do I say all of this?? Well, being hypothyroid, you have many terrible, however sometimes subtle, symptoms...including infertility. But not only that...and this is where I really need you to pay attention!!....but hypothyroidism causes SLOW WOUND HEALING! [Read slow healing of our fallopian tubes] Here's a link to a study if you are interested. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10401234
What does that mean for ladies with blocked fallopian tubes?? Well, the blockage in the fallopian tubes is scar tissue and adhesions, which essentially is considered a 'wound' according to the immune system. So, that means that if your thyroid is sluggish (hypothyroidism), your immune system will be sluggish in healing wounds or scar tissue in fallopian tubes!!
Hypothyroidism has also been linked with auto-immune illnesses - one of them being Endometriosis! So, if you have endometriosis, you may also have hypothyroidism. If you can correct your hypothyroid condition, you may also resolve your endometriosis, in theory. Some studies show that 40% of women suffering from endometriosis also suffer from underactive thyroid.
As I said earlier, underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism is a condition that is often undiagnosed or improperly treated. If you suffer from endometriosis, it would also be a good idea to get tested for this condition. There are various warning signs that may serve as a signal that you suffer from hypothyroidism.
The most common ones include depression, weight gain, fatigue, high cholesterol, hair loss, feeling cold, low libido, tingling in the hands and feet, and infertility. I had most of these and many more for over ten years... Here's a link with many other possible symptoms you could experience with hypothyroid! http://hypothyroidmom.com/300-hypothyroidism-symptoms-yes-really/ If you have any of these, PLEASE get your thyroid checked.
Infertility is both a side effect of hypothyroidism and endometriosis. In the case of endometriosis it occurs because of cells that lodge themselves outside of the uterus. These are the same type of cells that build up inside of the uterus and are shed each month during menstruation.
When a woman develops endometriosis, however, the cells accumulate outside of the uterus. When a woman menstruates, the cells don’t shed and they continue to build up. This can lead to scar tissue and adhesions. Often, the fallopian tubes are blocked, preventing a woman from conceiving.
Hypothyroidism also affects fertility. Not only are your hormones unbalanced, a woman suffering from hypothyroidism often doesn’t experience ovulation. This is another symptom I experienced due to hypothyroidism. Without ovulation, there is no egg for the sperm to fertilize. Hypothyroidism also causes miscarriage if you do happen to get pregnant.
Getting back to the wound healing topic, I have since theorized that this may be the reason why the healing of my tubes took as long as it did - because I had an underlying, undiagnosed hypothyroid condition. This also brings to mind what may be happening to the very few women who do everything right regarding treatment...but still find out their tubes are blocked. Do they have underlying thyroid issues, causing ongoing and active endometriosis or slow wound healing?? It's definitely something to strongly consider and investigate.
The good news is we CAN correct this condition with first, DIAGNOSIS with all of the proper tests (see pic above). TSH alone is NOT sufficient! It's a must to get Free T3 and Free T4 checked as well as TSH, at a minimum. Then we can focus on proper medication and a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet.
So, don't put this off, ladies! Tell your doctor you want a full thyroid panel done. Learn from my mistakes! I honestly want you all to heal yourselves and go on to have beautiful, healthy babies. So, do this for yourself...and your future babies.