Motherhood brings unforeseen joy and bliss in a woman’s life, but it also leads to onset of several physiological changes. Both before and after the birth of the baby, a woman undergoes various physical conditions, some of which are not pleasant. Apart from weight gain and loss, hair fall and mood swings that are caused by pregnancy, new mothers may also face hormonal imbalance related conditions. One such instance is postpartum thyroiditis. Some home remedies for postpartum thyroiditis include eating sea vegetables, Limiting junk and processed food, eating food rich in antioxidants like berries, Exercise, etc.
What is it Postpartum Thyroiditis?
Postpartum thyroiditis takes place when the thyroid gland in a woman’s body becomes abnormally inflamed after childbirth. It may lead to an overactive thyroid gland in the beginning. However, later it may turn into underactive thyroid- which is referred as hypothyroidism. The number of pregnant women who develop this condition is not very high, as it is.
The main causes of Postpartum Thyroiditis
Doctors are not clear as to exactly what factors lead to the onset of this condition in a woman’s body after childbirth. It may be so that it is a kind of autoimmune disease. Some studies have hinted that women who are afflicted with Type 1 diabetes are more prone to developing postpartum thyroiditis. Researchers think there can be more undiscovered causes that can lead to this condition in women.
Both hyperthyroid phase and Hypothyroidism in women developing postpartum thyroiditis can be traced by checking thyroid hormone levels in the blood stream.
Major Symptoms for Postpartum Thyroiditis
The disorder affects women in various ways and symptoms can vary accordingly. In the hyperthyroidism phase, affected women may not exhibit or feel any symptom. They may also have mild and short lasting symptoms. Post this phase, they may recover from the condition or live with under functional thyroid.
Those women affected by hyperthyroidism exhibit symptoms like:
- Muscle weakness
- Rapid heartbeat
- Nervousness
- Loss of concentration
- Anxiety
Women affected by hypothyroidism exhibit symptoms like:
- Fatigue
- Muscle cramps
- Weight gain
- Loss of memory
- Constipation
The tricky thing about symptoms of postpartum thyroiditis is these symptoms are not felt even months after birth of the baby! Sometimes, the mothers and doctors think these to be regular signs of recovery from childbirth.
Treatment options for postpartum thyroiditis
There are no specific treatments for this condition. However, before giving any medication, the doctors take into account the following aspects:
- Age of the woman
- Capacity to cope with specific medications post childbirth
- Existing medical conditions and medications
In general, women with major signs of hyperthyroidism are advised to take beta blockers and those exhibit signs of hypothyroidism require thyroid hormone replacement.
5 Home remedies for Postpartum Thyroiditis
Since the majority of women detected with postpartum thyroiditis do not need special medical intervention and symptoms begin subsiding within a few weeks or less, resorting to home remedies makes sense. Except for some cases, women coping with this condition can benefit from resorting to home remedies usually followed for controlling thyroidism.
Below listed are top 5 home remedies you can use for tackling postpartum thyroiditis:
- Sea vegetables- Women afflicted with this condition should eat sea vegetables. The sea vegetables are fortified with iodine- which boosts thyroid health. These vegetables also have plenty of nutrients. Examples of such vegetables are kelp, sea palm etc and kombu. They can be used in salads, soups and broths.
- Eating food rich in antioxidants– Berries are rich in antioxidants and they also help reduce thyroid gland inflammation. They can be eaten raw or mixed in smoothies and salads.
- Limiting junk and processed food– Junk and processed foods are not only bad for your waistline and heart, they can also aggravate an irritated thyroid gland! Packed and processed foods contain added sugar and preservatives which are detrimental when you already have either an overactive or underactive thyroid gland. Whole grain based foods are better.
- Choosing fish and lean meat– Eating sea fish can be good for thyroid anomalies. However, avoid eating fish that can have high amount of mercury concentration. Stick to eating lean meat and avoid in taking red meats.
- Regular Exercise– Sedentary lifestyle can worsen thyroid gland anomalies as it has been observed. To ensure you recover from postpartum thyroiditis ensure you do light to moderate exercise every day. This can be done in many forms.
Often home remedies do the trick and you do not have to resort to medication that have side effects and leave you feeling woozy in the head. Keep a watch on what you eat and try to maintain a healthy and wholesome diet to keep thyroiditis and other ailments at bay!
