Thyroid disease: Know it to prevent it.

Thyroid Disease is another common disease that can be cured, but the chance of recurrence is also high. Therefore, we should get to know the symptoms that indicate thyroid gland abnormalities as well as the risk factors that cause the disease. Being aware will help us avoid certain behaviors to reduce the risk of thyroid disease.

What is the Thyroid? … Let’s Understand First

The thyroid is an endocrine gland located in the neck below the Adam’s apple, in front of the cartilage of the trachea. The thyroid has both left and right sides and functions to produce and secrete thyroid hormones into the bloodstream to control metabolism processes, including the creation and breakdown or metabolism of various organs in the body, such as the body’s energy expenditure rate, energy regulation within the body, body temperature control, and excretion.

Did you know? The thyroid can have various abnormalities

• Hyperthyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland is overactive and abnormal
  • Symptoms include easy fatigue, hand tremors, palpitations, weight loss, frequent hunger, increased appetite, abnormal frequent bowel movements, hair loss, irregular menstruation, easy overheating, etc.
  • Treatment involves taking medication to reduce thyroid hormone levels, swallowing radioactive iodine water to reduce thyroid gland activity and size. If the goiter is excessively large, surgery is recommended.
    If untreated, it can cause easy fatigue, palpitations, arrhythmia, heart failure or heart attack, and pulmonary edema.
• Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland produces less hormone than normal or has inflammation, resulting in decreased hormone production
  • Symptoms are opposite to hyperthyroidism, including weight gain, loss of appetite, easy fatigue, frequent drowsiness, dry skin, constipation, swelling, easy coldness, etc.
    Treatment involves thyroid hormone replacement to normalize hormone levels in the body.
    If untreated, it can cause weight gain, fluid accumulation in the pleural and pericardial cavities due to edema.
• Thyroid nodules or thyroid tumors are abnormal tissue growths with no clear cause
  • Symptoms may include hoarseness, difficulty swallowing food or liquids due to the enlarged thyroid pressing on nearby neck organs.
  • Treatment involves surgery if the thyroid nodule is too large or there is a risk of malignancy. If untreated, it may lead to thyroid cancer.
• Thyroiditis is caused by viral or bacterial infections
  • Symptoms include pain in the thyroid area, with or without lumps, and fever.
  • Treatment involves taking medication to reduce inflammation.

Do you have thyroid disease? You can find out with these tests

• Palpation to check if the thyroid gland is abnormally enlarged
• Check for bulging or swollen eyes
• Check for hand tremors
• Check pulse for abnormalities
• Blood tests to measure thyroid hormone levels in the body

What factors increase the risk of thyroid disease?

• Genetics
• Smoking
• Alcohol consumption
• Frequent sleep deprivation or insufficient rest
• High stress levels