What a Healthy Thyroid Does

The thyroid gland sits at the front of the throat. It's a butterfly-shaped organ perched just below the larynx, or voice box. Usually a bit larger than a quarter and weighing less than an ounce, the thyroid gland consists of two lobes — the "wings" of the butterfly — separated by a thin section called the "isthmus."
The thyroid's job is to produce hormones that regulate your body's metabolism. Your metabolism determines how your body converts food into energy and the rate at which it uses that energy. Because this energy use and activity takes place at a cellular level, every cell in your body depends on thyroid hormones for the information needed to function properly. The thyroid gland's wide-ranging effect on the body's metabolism explains why thyroid problems and thyroid disease can affect health in many ways, and why thyroid problems symptoms are so diverse.

Hormones in a Healthy Thyroid

The principal thyroid hormones are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). T3 is about four times as strong as T4, but a healthy thyroid gland produces about four times as much T4.
The thyroid gland makes these hormones by combining iodine with the amino acid tyrosine. Therefore, in order to prevent thyroid problems, it's important to get enough iodine in your diet.
In addition to the hormones made by the thyroid's follicular cells — which regulate heart rate, body temperature and energy level — the thyroid gland also produces calcitonin. Made by the thyroid's C cells, calcitonin regulates the level of calcium in the blood.

Thyroid Problems: Symptoms and Causes

One way to understand what a healthy thyroid gland does for you is to understand what goes wrong when it starts to malfunction. Since the thyroid regulates metabolism, a change in energy levels is one of the first ways in which thyroid problems or thyroid disease manifests itself.
Hypothyroidism — or an underactive thyroid — is the most common thyroid problem. The symptoms of an underactive thyroid include:
  • Constipation
  • Depression
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Dry hair and rough skin
  • Fatigue
  • Irregular menstrual cycles
  • Muscle pain
  • Sensitivity to cold
  • Weakness
  • Weight gain.
The symptoms of hyperthyroidism, which occurs when your body produces too many thyroid hormones, include difficulty sleeping, heat intolerance, and appetite changes, along with weight loss in some cases.
Other diseases of the thyroid include goiter and cancerous nodules. Talk to a doctor if you have questions about thyroid symptoms.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pernicious Anemia: Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Image
Anemia  is a blood disorder in which the number of red blood cells or the amount of hemoglobin is lower than normal. With fewer red blood cells or hemoglobin, insufficient oxygen is delivered to the body 's cells. Pernicious anemia  is a type of anemia caused by a deficiency in vitamin B12. In pernicious anemia, the lack of vitamin B12 is due to the body 's inability to produce enough  intrinsic factor , a protein necessary for the absorption of vitamin B12. Pernicious anemia is a type of  megaloblastic anemia . Megaloblastic anemia is defined as, "a blood disorder characterized by anemia, with red blood cells that are larger than normal, usually resulting from a deficiency of folic acid or of vitamin B12 .  " (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Pernicious anemia by any other name . . . Pernicious anemia is known by a number of other names, including: macrocytic achylic anemia congenital pernicious anemia juvenile pernicious anemia vitamin B12 deficienc
Keep reading

Stress Relaxation Techniques

The ultimate goal in stress coping and management is to reduce the negative effects of stress. Different relaxation techniques have proved successful and can be used based on individual preference. Brief descriptions of various techniques follow. If you are interested in pursuing the use of these techniques further, more information is available in books or on tapes. These books and tapes can be purchased at bookstores or may be accessible at your library. Deep Breating as a Relaxation Technique Deep breathing is the most basic relaxation technique and is often the foundation for other methods. The primary benefit is that deep breathing can be done anywhere and anytime. It is beneficial to practice deep breathing several times a day. The methodology consists of completely filling the lungs when breathing so that the abdomen expands out ward. You begin by taking a deep breath and then exhaling slowly through the mouth. A hand can be placed on the stomach to ensure that it is fully e
Keep reading

Nutrition & Cystic Fibrosis

Image
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the body's exocrine glands, including the various mucus and sweat glands found throughout the body. Since cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease, most people with the disease are usually diagnosed by their first birthday. The most common problems due to cystic fibrosis are related to the lungs and the digestive system. In the lungs, the mucus produced by the various exocrine glands is abnormally thick, creating obstructions in the breathing passageways and, eventually, damage to the lungs. Furthermore, the thick mucus creates an ideal breeding ground for various bacteria and other organisms, which results in frequent lung infections, damage to the lungs and, ultimately, respiratory failure. Cystic fibrosis also affects the pancreas. The pancreas is responsible for producing various enzymes to aid in digestion, but in cystic fibrosis the pancreas is unable to excrete sufficient amounts of pancreatic enzymes to help digest foo
Keep reading