Thyroid is common disease which is more common in women and has to be treated as soon as it is detected. They are initially within a curable stage, but if delayed, could result in severity. We have a small butterfly-shaped gland just beneath the Adam’s apple.
It is a very important gland because they control our metabolism. Without proper metabolism our body will not be able to function. This gland produces thyroid hormones, and they flow throughout our blood stream.
The gland has a thyroid stimulating hormone which lets the hormones out till needed, and stops producing once it’s done.
When the hormones start coming out excessively it is known as hyperthyroidism and when it slows down more than natural it is known as hypothyroidism. These are the two most common types of thyroid disorders along with conditions like thyroiditis, goiter or form lumps.
Symptoms
- Hyperthyroidism: this condition makes your body speed up. It results from excess hormonal supply and this is why they use the term ‘hyper’ to state it. This disease in 10 times more common to women than men.
Some common signs are
- Faster heart rate
- Increased sweat
- Nervousness
- Trembling of hands
- Weakness in muscles
- Losing excess weight in less time
- Skin changes
- Hair fall
- Decreased menstrual flow
- Increased bowel movements
- Eyes feeling like they’d come out of the socket
You will not find all the symptoms happening to you, at least not at once. However, if you tend to see more than one symptom, you recommended for seeing a doctor.
- Hypothyroidism: it occurs due to lesser amount of thyroid hormones in the body and slows down our activities. Hypo means not enough, which refers that there aren’t sufficient hormones in our blood. Both men and women can have such conditions, though it is more common in women.
Some common signs are
- Sluggish feeling
- Excess cold
- Slower heart rate
- Easily drowsy
- Poor memory retention
- Weight gain
- Muscle cramps
- Hair fall
- Heavier menstrual flow
- Infertility
- Lack of focus
- Coarser skin
- Depression
- Milky discharge from breasts
A lot of symptoms match with signs of aging. If you have been having some of these and you want to get a doctor consulted, you can have it done any time and be worry-free.
Some more symptoms
- Thyroiditis: This happens when you get to see an inflated area around your neck. This is one of the common reasons of People also have more chances to have hypothyroidism than hyperthyroidism. Your gland becomes enlarged and they might start shrinking with time. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common disease which runs generation after generation. It affects 5% of the adult mass and more common to women. Another type called postpartum thyroiditis happens to pregnant women, but they subside after giving birth. Other than this, some viral and bacterial infection can cause this condition too.
- Goiter: this is an abnormal swelling which happens due to an enlarged gland. The size can become really big and ill-looking. Around 5% of people around the world have this condition and the most common reason is lack of iodine in the body. The other possible reasons could be any of the other thyroid conditions.
- Lumps or nodules: lumps are formed inside or outside the gland and are referred to as nodules. They happen to around 7% of the population and 90% of the cases are not cancerous. Thyroid cancer might happen to mean who have had radiation on their neck or head. Due to nodules you might have breathing and swallowing problems but they can be cured and with proper treatment.
Many times, women confuse symptoms of menopause with thyroid disorders. After reading this article, you will be able to relate to some common conditions.
If you think that there are more than two signs matching from any of the above subdivisions, you are recommended to have a proper check up done.
Preventive measures of thyroid
1. Use a thyroid collar for x-ray
When you need x-rays for teeth, neck, head, collarbone, in other words, any area near your collar, you must use a ‘thyroid collar’. This keeps you away from radiation which can cause thyroid. This is an easy tip which you should keep in mind for preventing the disease.
2. Quit smoking
Smoking happens to be one the worst activities that we can do to ourselves, because it harms us to death! Smoking also happens to be a common reason to trigger thyroid. Thiocyanate is a common toxin which is included in every smoke, and that increases the chances of having thyroid.
There are chances for cigarette smokers to have thyroid eye problems known as Grave’s disease. Treatments are pretty unsure for them as well. Smoking is related to a lot of other issues which is why it is best to reduce or completely take it out of your system!
3. Say no to soy
Soy is something you need to stay away from! Over consumption of soy is linked with increased chances of thyroid. You can stick to the natural forms like tofu, miso soup or tempeh, but you should keep away from powders, pills, creams, smoothies, etc.
4. Avoid supplements
Having supplements might also trigger thyroid diseases. This is more related to the inexpensive ones which don’t include mineral selenium.
5. Get iodine
It is important to have enough iodine to normalize thyroid hormones in your body. Earlier, we used to have iodine is milk, flour, salt and even water, but now the deficiency has increased.
It is important to revamp our diets according to what our body needs. Thus, it is best to take some preventive measures to maintain better health and reduce chances of probable diseases.
