DIAGONISING THYROID

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Every human being has a thyroid gland. It is located above thetrachea. It looks like a butterfly in the middle of our throats.This incredible yet small organ plays an important role in ourbody, because this is where our hormones are produced. Whichobviously means the thyroid gland regulates the amount of energyand vitamins the body absorbs and excretes. But like any normal body organ a thyroid gland also may causesever damage to the body. Thyroid problems happen when there isa huge amount of irregularity in the production of the hormones.This may lead to serious repercussions to the rest of humanbody.
There are two types of thyroid problem; they are calledhypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism happened when the thyroid gland doesn't produceenough hormones for the body. People suffering from thiscondition experience slow metabolism, fatigue and goiter.Hyperthyroidism is exactly the opposite, the metabolism is fasterand the body excretes too much energy. You may not know it but you might be suffering from a thyroidproblem unknowingly. So how do we as common people diagnose athyroid problem? Here are some simple steps you can follow tohelp save lives:
☺Step 1: Look for symptoms Hypothyroidism – symptoms include: fatigue, constipation,easily feels cold, dry skin, lack of appetite, deeper voice andsometimes hair fall and depression. Hyperthyroidism – symptoms may appear as: insomnia,nervousness, unusual sweating, increase lost of weight, frequentbowel movement and difficulty in concentrating similar toconfusion.
☺Step 2: If you feel the symptoms, study your medical history.Finding the root cause of the disease will make it easier foryou to find the appropriate treatment. Here are some causes of thyroid problems: Hyperthyroidism – Graves disease, pituitary gland problems,toxic adenomas and subacute thyroiditis. Hypothyroidism – Hashimoto's thyroiditis, removal of thyroidgland, too much iodide in the body and exposure to lithium.
☺Step 3: Be sure to seek medical help especially if thecondition have worsen. Look out for these symptoms as well:shortness of breath, vomiting, abdominal and chest pain, highirritability level, confusion and coma.
☺Step 4: As soon as you seek professional care, make sure youare ready to take a series of test that will determine thestatus of your Thyroid problem.
☺Step 5: Prepare to know the results of you test. There are twodistinct ways to diagnose if a patient has hyperthyroidism orhypothyroidism. For hyperthyroidism, your thyroid stimulatinghormone (TSH) serum is lower compared to the standard. While forhypothyroidism, the TSH is higher than the normal rate.
☺Step 6: If your result matches any one of the two types, youbetter seek medication or treatment. Treatment will depend onhow severe the problem may be. There are different treatmentsavailable so you don't need to fret. Thyroid problems may cause harsh damages to the body, but it isone of the easiest diseases to cure. We recommend that youresearch and consult your doctor regularly, to avoidabnormalities in the body.