Thyroid: All You Need to Know
Do you realize how commonly you hear about someone suffering from thyroid? Despite being so common, you might be quite confused that what exactly is the thyroid? It is essentially a gland present in the human body which performs various vital functions in the body. You might be surprised to know that in India alone, around 42 million people suffer from thyroid-related diseases. And in the United States, the estimates say that this number is around 20 million. In fact, a lot of people aren’t even aware if they are suffering from any thyroid disorder. But today, you are in luck because we will help you in learning everything about thyroid. You can learn about this gland, its functions, thyroid-related diseases, lifestyle improvements to make, and much more! What is the Thyroid Gland? The thyroid is a gland situated in the front of your neck. It is a small butterfly-shaped gland that helps in performing various vital functions in the body. This gland is part of the endocrine system, and similar to other glands, it helps in creating different hormones for the body. These hormones act like messengers in your body that carry signals to the different parts of the body to regulate various bodily functions. Since these functions are highly essential for the body, there are over 50 hormones in the human body. As for the thyroid gland, it produces three hormones: Tetraiodothyronine hormone which is also known as the thyroxine or the T4 hormone Triiodothyronine hormone which is also known as the T3 hormone Calcitonin hormone What are its Functions? In an overview, the thyroid gland has an effect on different body functions like breathing, heart rate, metabolism, mood, weight, and others. The three hormones it produces execute different tasks that help the gland maintain the body in a healthy state. The T4 and T3 hormones improve your metabolism and make it faster by increasing the basal metabolic rate (BMR) of your body. This generally happens thanks to the help of iodine which increases the efficiency of all your body cells. In infants and children, the thyroid helps develop and grow the brain and other important tissues dependent on this gland. Even during pregnancy, it also helps in the development of the baby’s brain and the nervous system. Talking about the Calcitonin hormone, it lowers the calcium levels in your blood without affecting your bones. Calcitonin does the same by inhibiting the function of osteoclasts which are cells that break down your bones. In other words, Calcitonin prevents the breakdown of your bones and stops calcium from being released in your bloodstream which gets produced during the breakdown of your bones. Calcitonin also lowers the amount of calcium that gets reabsorbed by your kidneys and released into the bloodstream which effectively lowers the calcium levels in your blood. The thyroid gland also communicates closely with the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland releases the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) to control the number of thyroid hormones secreted. This maintains a healthy balance of hormones as it prevents overproduction or underproduction of hormones. Iodine and Thyroid Iodine is a trace element which means that it is required by the body only in minute amounts. It plays a highly crucial part in the functions that the thyroid gland performs. As the two main hormones, T3 and T4 are made in this gland using Iodine. Iodine in the body is absorbed by this gland and the synthesis of the hormones begins which are then released into the bloodstream. Although, the human body is not capable of producing this mineral on its own. Therefore, it is important to have a proper intake of iodine through the food you eat. If your body lacks iodine, your body won’t make enough hormones. An average adult is recommended to take 150 mcg of iodine daily and the need increases for women who are pregnant or nursing. There are a variety of iodine sources present in food items like eggs, dairy, seaweed, cod, iodized salt, etc. Thyroid related Diseases An imbalance in thyroid hormones can affect a number of processes in your body. This can lead to various diseases like the ones we will be looking at below: Goiter The Goiter is a condition where the thyroid gland becomes enlarged or a cell of this gland grows more than its normal size which creates lumps. You can face Goiter due to both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism or even when the gland is working just fine. Symptoms of Goiter Swelling of the neck area Pain in the neck area Difficulty in swallowing Coughing Hoarseness in your voice Although, if you are facing issues with your thyroid, you may face more than just the symptoms of Goiter. You can even have the symptoms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism at the same time. Causes of Goiter Iodine Deficiency: When your body is deficient in iodine, the thyroid gland produces fewer hormones. Due to this, the pituitary gland sends a signal of producing more hormones. This leads to the enlargement of the thyroid gland in order to complete the request made by the pituitary gland. Hashimoto’s Disease: It is an autoimmune disorder that attacks its own cells. This results in reduced production of the thyroid hormone, which leads the pituitary gland to send a signal to produce more hormones, increasing the gland\’s size, and causing goiter. Grave’s Disease: This is another autoimmune condition where the immune system produces a protein called Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI). This protein then makes the gland produce more hormones along with the TSH and increase in size leading to goiter. Thyroiditis: Inflammation caused in the thyroid gland can lead to goiter as in the initial stages it leads to hypothyroidism and later to hyperthyroidism. Thyroid Nodules: The thyroid gland can sometimes develop some nodules which can lead to enlargement in this gland. Hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism is a condition that occurs when your thyroid gland is not producing enough of the hormones required for body functions. The symptoms of hypothyroidism
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