The Thyroid Explained for Filipino Parents: When Fatigue Isn’t Just Pagod

Here’s what parents need to know about the thyroid

Parenthood already asks for our sleep, our time, and our sanity. So when our body starts acting up—weight gain that won’t budge, palpitations out of nowhere, hair clogging the shower drain—it’s easy to shrug and say, “Ganito talaga pag magulang.” But sometimes, it’s not just the stress of parenting. Sometimes, it’s our thyroid.

Here’s what Filipino parents need to know about the little, butterfly-shaped organ in our necks.

What Is the Thyroid—and Why Should Parents Care?

Small as the thyroid is, it controls everything. Think of it as the body’s conductor. It releases hormones that tell the other organs what to do. The moment it starts messing up, everything goes with it. It controls everything from:

• Your metabolism (how your body uses energy)
• Your heart rate
• Your body temperature
• Your mood
• Your weight
• Even mom’s menstrual cycle
  

For moms, especially postpartum moms, these issues can show up quietly and be mistaken for “normal exhaustion.” The most common issues when it comes to the thyroid are usually Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism.

Hypothyroidism: When Everything Slows Down

Hypothyroidism means our thyroid isn’t producing enough hormones.

Common signs many often ignore:

• Sudden weight gain despite the caloric deficit
• Chills despite PH heat
• Exhaustion that even a good night’s sleep won’t fix
• Hair fall
• Constipation
• Brain fog (“Ano nga ulit ginagawa ko?”)

In the Philippines, hypothyroidism is often brushed off as:

• “Stress lang”
• “Hormones lang yan”
• “Kulang ka lang sa exercise”

But left unchecked, it can affect your heart, fertility, and mental health.

Hyperthyroidism: When Your Body Is Always in a Hurry

Hyperthyroidism is the opposite—it’s overactive.

This one can be extra scary because it looks like anxiety.

Watch for:

• Sudden changes in weight
• Palpitations
• Hot flashes
• Shaky hands
• Irritability or restlessness
• Difficulty sleeping

Unfortunately, many parents often brush it off. After all, parenting waits for no one. So, it’s no surprise that always being on fast forward is our default. Especially if we’re heavy coffee drinkers, we don’t often think it’s a thyroid problem until much, much later. We often think:

“Anxious lang ako.”
“Kape lang ‘to.”
“Puyat lang.”

But the truth is, we don’t often notice it because the ability and energy to push past the glass ceiling of self-preservation is always welcome.

Unfortunately, it’s more often seen in moms than dads

Since women have a wider variety of hormones, moms are more susceptible to thyroid problems than dads. It doesn’t always have to be obvious. They usually get triggered by all sorts of things, such as:

• Postpartum hormonal shifts can trigger thyroid problems.
• Family history (common but rarely talked about).
• Iodine imbalance – This usually happens especially when we don’t eat enough seafood.
• Delayed checkups because moms put everyone else first.
• Hiya culture because nobody wants to be called “OA.”

It doesn’t help that we get the occasional comment about our bodies.

Dads can have it too, but it’s not as obvious. Sometimes, it’s best to just get checked, especially if the family has a history of diabetes and the like.

5. When Should You Get Checked?

Consider seeing an endocrinologist if symptoms last more than a month, especially if:

• Diet and exercise aren’t helping
• You feel unlike yourself
• Your period changes
• You recently gave birth
• You have a family history of thyroid disease

A simple blood test, especially the one that tests for TSH, T3, and T4 can already give answers. Some government hospitals and LGU health centers may have the equipment. But a lot of times, there’s usually a diagnostic lab that helps out with the testing.

Thyroid: The Underlying Source of Most Health Problems

Unlike diseases and viruses, these usually just lie underneath. We live with them so long that sometimes, they just become a part of daily life. We power through it like any other parent, thinking, “Hey, it’s probably just old age.”

It can also be absolutely infuriating if we know there’s a problem, and doctors can’t find it. When it comes to health, always remember: some health problems come from the most obscure of places.

Not every weight gain is a discipline problem. Not every moment of fatigue is laziness. Not every mood swing is “arte.” Sometimes, it’s really something physiological.

More about health?

The Truth About Diabetes
7 Things Moms Should Know About Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Trishka Puno Samonte: A Mom’s Fight Against APAS and Birth Trauma