The talk show queen opens up about her recent health struggles.

In the October issue of her magazine, O, OPRAH WINFREY addresses her recently diagnosed thyroid condition. The subject was also the focus of her show on Tuesday.

"At the end of May, I was so exhausted I couldn't figure out what was going on in my life," said Oprah. "I ended up going to Africa and ... was still feeling tired, really tired, going around from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what was wrong and finally figured out that I had literally sort of blew out my thyroid.

"My body was turning on me," she added, explaining the condition caused severe fluctuations in her weight. "First hyperthyroidism, which sped up my metabolism ... then hypothyroidism, which slowed down my metabolism."

Oprah said she is sharing her story because "I wanted so many other women who are going through the same thing to check on yourself and recognize that, first of all, it's an issue that we all share in common, especially if you're of a certain age. It was hugely, hugely, hugely important for me to get that in balance."