
Azahara Munoz knew something wasn’t right when she returned home to Spain two seasons ago to play the Ladies European Tour event there.
For some time, she too often felt exhausted.
She was beginning to struggle with anxiety.
And then her hair started falling out.
“I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, I must really be stressed,’” Munoz said. “I just thought I was doing too much, that it was stress.”
Concerned over growing bald spots, Munoz visited a dermatologist while in Spain.
“I went thinking I was going bald,” Munoz, 30, said. “She told me I wasn’t really going bald, there was a reason for it.”
The doctor sent Munoz to an endocrinologist suspecting there was a thyroid problem. Bloodwork showed Munoz was suffering from Hashimoto’s Disease. It’s a condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, which can lead to hypothyroidism, chronic inflammation that affects the way hormones regulate body functions.
There was relief knowing the cause, but it took time to get the treatment right, to get the medication (Levothyroxine) and her diet right. She doesn’t eat meat anymore – no beef, chicken or even fish. She says that has also helped stabilize her condition.
Munoz, 30, struggled with her game as her health issues worsened. She failed to make the European Solheim Cup team last year, after making three consecutive teams. She also suffered through appendicitis at the end of last year, but she says she doesn’t know how much her health issues affected her game.
This season’s going better, though. Munoz finished second at the Lotte Championship last month, her first top-10 finish in a year and a half.
“I’ve been feeling so much better for the last four or five months,” Munoz said. “My bloodwork is more stable, still not great, but more stable, but I really am feeling good.”
Earlier this week, Munoz took to her Instagram account to share her struggle publicly.
“Nobody really knew about it,” Munoz said. “Only my really close friends and family. The reason I wanted to talk about it is that I know there are people out there suffering from this who don’t even know they have it.”
Since posting her story on Instagram, Munoz said she has become emotional reading responses, many from people struggling with symptoms just like Munoz did, people confused over what was happening to them. She said that’s why she decided to tell her story.
“I feel a little guilty, because I waited so long to talk about it,” she said. “I wanted to say, if you aren’t feeling good, seek some help.”
While Munoz wants people to know she is “feeling a million times better” and she’s “happier than I’ve ever been,” she relates to the struggles and confusion this malady causes.
“I kept thinking, `What’s wrong with me? Why don’t I want to go out for dinner with friends? Why do I just want to stay on the couch?’ Why don’t I want to do anything?’” Munoz said. “I have a normal life now, and I’m really active. I wrote about it more for people who are struggling and don’t know what to do. There are so many people who are not diagnosed, who don’t know they have it.”
Munoz said she hopes her story helps others feel as good as she’s feeling again.