January Is Thyroid Awareness Month | Surgical Associates of Cleveland
Did you know that January is Thyroid Awareness Month? According to the American Thyroid Association, about 20 million Americans have some kind of thyroid disease. Though the thyroid is a small gland that most of us think very little about, it’s a bit of a powerhouse in the human body, impacting metabolism, digestion, fertility, weight loss, aging, and more. The Surgical Associates of Cleveland perform many thyroidectomies each year and would like to help our community binge better acquainted with this powerful gland in 2018. Here are a few fast facts:
The thyroid helps regulate the metabolic functions of every cell in the body. It does this by stimulating the tissues within the body to produce certain proteins and also by increasing the amount of available oxygen for cells.
The thyroid gland is often called the body’s furnace, with the pituitary gland its thermostat. When the thyroid gets cold, the pituitary gland produces TSH to stimulate thyroid hormone production and warm up the body. As thyroid hormones rise and the thyroid gets too hot, the pituitary gland slows the production of TSH, cooling down the body.
The hormone T4 is largely converted into the active T3 within the liver. If the body’s liver is overtaxed, it can’t effectively convert these hormones, and the body won’t have enough of active thyroid hormone. This makes people feel tired, and sick. That’s why anyone with a thyroid disease should also makes efforts to experience greater liver health.
Thyroid disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose. This is often because the symptoms of thyroid disorder go unnoticed as they tend to come on slowly and are non-specific.
Signs of an overactive thyroid include heart racing and palpitations, anxiety, fatigue, weight loss, and nervousness. Signs of an underactive thyroid include fatigue, hair loss, constipation, dry skin, irregular menses, cold intolerance, brittle hair, slow heart rate, and a general lethargy.
Want to learn more? Consider these top questions to ask about your thyroid health.
At The Surgical Associates of Cleveland, we are pleased to counsel you on a number of health conditions and surgical treatments. You are welcome to give us a call at (423) 472-5423 or visit our website to learn more about our services.