Many have heard of the word thyroid and might even know that it’s part of our anatomy.
However, fewer people will know where it is in the body and what role it plays in keeping us healthy.
The thyroid is located in the lower neck region and is a gland that controls most of the functions of metabolism.
What the thyroid does
The thyroid regulates the metabolism of the body by creating and releasing hormones.
It creates Triiodothyronine (T3), and Tetraiodothyronine (T4).
The thyroid also produces calcitonin, which regulates cone and calcium metabolism.
The more hormone is released, the more active the cells of the body becomes.
With more hormones running through your system, you can experience:
- a rise in your body temperature
- quicker use of energy from food
- improvement in focus and awareness
For most people, the thyroid gland along with the pituitary gland, which tells the thyroid how much hormone to make and release, do a great job of keeping our body balanced and functioning at its best.
When things go wrong
There are times when the thyroid either makes too much or too little hormones and puts the body out of balance.
Hyperthyroidism – When the thyroid becomes overactive, it produces and releases too much hormone.
If you have hyperthyroidism, you are likely to suffer from one or more of these thyroid symptoms:
- weight loss
- sleeping difficulties
- heart palpitations
- mood regulation difficulties
- fatigue and general ill feeling
Hypothyroidism –Sometimes, the thyroid produces and releases too little hormone, and this is known as low thyroid.
One of the most common causes of hypothyroidism is a disease called Hashimoto’s disease.
If someone does have Hashimoto’s disease, they are susceptible to:
- either the inability to lose weight or the sudden gaining of it
- mood irregularity, especially depression
- joint pain, including stiffness
- failure to regulate general well-being, leaving sufferers often tired
Sometimes, thyroid issues are not diagnosed early or properly since many other health issues can cause the symptoms.
So if you are suffering from any of these conditions, it might be an over or underactive thyroid.
This is especially the case with hypothyroidism, which can lead to infertility in women as it causes the ovaries to fail, and it can cause joint pain and stiffness.
Other possible effects include Lupus and diabetes.
Help your thyroid
Apart from getting treatment from a hospital or clinic, there are ways to keep your thyroid healthy, and as is often quoted, prevention is better than cure.
One way to help your thyroid is to eat certain types of food, and even if you already have some thyroid issues, these foods can help.
Anything that is rich in iodine (something that body needs but cannot produce itself) helps the thyroid.
Foods rich in iodine are dairy products, so some helpings of ice cream or frozen yogurt can be good for you.
If you want to be healthier, food often found in Asian cuisine such as seaweed is also rich in iodine.
Food that contains selenium is also good for your thyroid, so nuts such as Brazil nuts and eggs will help.
The thyroid is something most people know very little about, but it plays such a defining role in how we live our lives from our levels of alertness to how we convert and process our energy.
More care and awareness about this gland would do a lot to alleviate many niggling and severe health issues.