Dr. Mridula Vohra

It is important for you to know how pregnancy affects your thyroid gland. The thyroid hormone plays an important role during pregnancy in the development of the baby and also regarding the health of the mother. If you suffer from thyroid problems during pregnancy, you should take medicines and certain thyroid function tests.

How pregnancy affects normal thyroid function?
The pregnancy hormones known as human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG and estrogen lead to increased thyroid hormone levels in your blood. The hCG made by the placenta stimulates the thyroid to produce excessive hormones. Increased estrogen leads to higher levels of the thyroxine binding globulin, which transports the thyroid hormone in the blood.

Because of these normal hormonal changes, thyroid function tests are difficult to perceive during pregnancy. The thyroid hormone is very important for the normal development of a baby’s nervous system and brain. During the first trimester of pregnancy, the foetus depends on the supply of thyroid from the mother via the placenta.

In healthy women, the thyroid enlarges during pregnancy. An enlarged thyroid can indicate a thyroid disease, which should be diagnosed immediately. Thyroid problems are difficult to diagnose during pregnancy because of the increased hormone levels, increased thyroid size, fatigue and other factors.

Hyperthyroidism in pregnancy
Hyperthyroidism may occur in pregnancy because of Graves’ disease where enough thyroid hormones are not produced. Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the cells and organs of the body instead of fighting bacteria or viruses. With Graves’ disease, an antibody is released by the immune system called the thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin or TSI. This causes the thyroid gland to produce excess thyroid hormone. In many cases, the antibody is also associated with eye problems like bulging, irritation and puffiness. Graves’ disease commonly appears during pregnancy, but women with this disease from before may actually observe improvements in the symptoms during the second and third pregnancy trimesters. The remission or the disappearance of the symptoms of Graves’ disease may occur due to the general suppression of the immune system, which occurs during early pregnancy. The disease is likely to recur and worsen in a few months after the delivery. It is important for pregnant women with Graves’ disease to be monitored carefully.

Hypothyroidism during pregnancy may lead to a developmental delay in the child. Sometimes, hormone therapy is given to women who are at the borderline stage in thyroid function during pregnancy or just before pregnancy. The treatment of the condition aims at maintaining a proper and balanced thyroid hormone level in the body.

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As most of the economies over the world become industrialized, the quality of life increases, but with it comes a plethora of mental health problems. Especially in a country like India, the rapid industrialization and the expansion of opportunities has seen a rise in the number of people afflicted by mental health disorders. Some of the common mental health issues and their treatment methods are discussed here-

Common Mental Health Issues-

1. Depression – Depression is a very serious issue that affects a significant part of the population. It is not only a public health concern but also a fast spreading problem in the world. Although depression related to stress is on the rise, it could happen due to chemical imbalances within the brain as well.

2. Anxiety Disorder – While stress and anxiety tend to be a part of your daily life, over time, it could build up and end up being a disorder. Symptoms of frequent panics or anxiety could build up to become anxiety and panic disorders wherein you would be constantly under stress due to external situations such as social anxiety or have panic disorders.

3. Schizophrenia – This problem is caused within the brain due to neurochemical issues and causes paranoia, hallucinations, frightfulness and distorted thought patterns. This is a major psychiatric disorder and requires extensive treatment.

4. Eating Disorders – These disorders are marked by problems of eating which in turn affect your health adversely. These disorders are caused by mental issues and are primarily of three types; Binge eating disorder, anorexia (obsession over what one’s eats) and Bulimia (binge eating and then purging to avoid putting on weight).

5. Bipolar Disorder – A very common mental disorder, this mental problem entails uncontrollable mood swings from happy (at times, euphoric) to sad in a short span of time or alternating phases of feeling ecstatic and often exhibiting reckless behavior to being severely depressed. This is a serious issue and can even result in suicidal tendencies.

6. Substance Abuse and Addiction Problems – Another effect of stress is the increasing dependence on drugs and alcohol which in turn becomes a pattern and thus may cause problems in your life as you start using these substances to escape reality.

Common Mental Health Treatments-

Many people diagnosed with mental illness achieve strength and recovery through participating in individual or group treatment. There are many different treatment options available. There is no treatment that works for everyone – individuals can choose the treatment, or combination of treatments, that works best. Do consult a doctor before choosing one-

1. Psychotherapy – The treatment of mental problems provided by a mental health counselor through dedicated sessions over a period of time is one of the most effective ways of countering problems. Psychotherapy explores thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and seeks to improve an individual’s well-being.  Psychotherapy paired with medication is the most effective way to promote recovery.  

2. Medication – This is the most common form of therapy that aims to reduce the chemical imbalances within the brain, either through oral pills or through injections.

3. Support Groups – This is especially good as getting to talk to similar people and sharing experiences with them help in reducing the isolation, thus helping them vent out repressed emotions and connect with like -minded people.

4. Residential Treatments – Effective in cases of drug or other forms of addiction as well as problems which require conditioning, hospitals and other residential treatment facilities such as a rehab center are used extensively to treat these along with other problems.

5. Treatment through stimulation of the brain – There are many newer treatments which are proving to be effective by stimulating the neurotransmitters that help correcting imbalances within the brain. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Psychologist.

A Study has analysed the effect of endurance running training on the stiffness index a variable that is directly related to bone quality.The results confirm that the greater the race distance that is trained the better this can be used,therefore, to prevent the progressive decline in bone mineral density that occurs with age.