Check-In to Improve Your Thyroid Health! – It’s estimated that 20 million Americans are suffering from some sort of thyroid disease. The thyroid is crucial to our metabolism, energy levels, and heart rate! Learn more about how to improve your thyroid health right here on Newsymom!
This is Public Health is brought to you in partnership with the Tuscarawas County Health Department.
It’s Thyroid Health Awareness Month! If you’ve been feeling any of these symptoms lately:
- Anxiety or trouble sleeping
- Weight loss or gain
- Vision problems or eye irritation
- Feeling tired or forgetful (more than normal)
- Voice hoarseness
- Dry or coarse hair
…it’s time to get your thyroid checked!
What is the Thyroid? (And What Does It Do?)
The thyroid is the little butterfly-shaped organ that sits in the base of your neck, below where the “Adam’s apple” is located. This little organ may seem small, but it has a huge job!
This little gland is responsible for a major function of metabolism regulation and growth and development of the human body. It’s job is to release a steady supply of thyroid hormones in your body to keep functions going! It affects your metabolism, energy levels, and heart rate.
What Hormones Does the Thyroid Produce?
Your thyroid gland works hard to produce and release the following hormones:
- Thyroxine (T4): This is the primary hormone your thyroid makes and releases. Although your thyroid makes the most of this hormone, it doesn’t have much of an effect on your metabolism. When T4 is released into your bloodstream, it can be converted to T3 through a process called deiodination.
- Triiodothyronine (T3): Your thyroid produces lesser amounts of T3 than T4, but it has a much greater effect on your metabolism than T4.
- Reverse triiodothyronine (RT3): Your thyroid makes very small amounts of RT3, which reverses the effects of T3.
- Calcitonin: Regulates the amount of calcium in your blood.
(Thyroid, ClevelandClinic.org)
What Can I Do to Check or Improve My Thyroid Health?
Since your thyroid is such a big role in your body’s functions, keeping it at tip-top health is a priority! If you are feeling any of the symptoms listed at the top of this article, you’ll need to check in with your healthcare provider. From there, your provider will order blood work to check your thyroid levels (T4, T3, TSH, and Vitamin D) and other testing to see what kind of thyroid disease you might have, if any!
Some thyroid diseases include:
- Underactive thyroid (Hypothyroidism)
- Overactive thyroid (Hyperthyroidism)
- Thyroid cancer
- Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
- Graves’ disease
The Tuscarawas County Health Department wants you to take the time to prioritize your thyroid health! Call them at (330) 343-5555 x. 100 to get physicals, vaccinations, and much more! You can also visit them at www.tchdnow.org to see what other services they offer you and your family.
Make sure to follow along on Facebook (@tchdnow) for the latest news and safety tips to keep your thyroid health at peak performance!
Melissa Klatt
Reporting
