Common Thyroid Disorders & Problems
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck just below the Adam’s apple. It is a part of an intricate network of glands called the endocrine system. The endocrine system is responsible for coordinating many of your body’s activities. The thyroid gland manufactures hormones that regulate your body’s metabolism, heart health and more. These hormones promote the development and maturation of children, are important for good heart health, bone condition and nervous system.
Several different disorders can arise when your thyroid produces too much hormone (hyperthyroidism) or not enough (hypothyroidism).
Four common disorders of the thyroid are Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves’ disease, goiter, and thyroid nodules.
Factors affecting thyroid hormone dysfunction – stress, infections, trauma, radiation, medications, fluoride (it has negative side effect on iodine), toxins, heavy metals, autoimmune diseases such as celiac colitis.
Hyperthyroidism
Graves’ disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, affecting about 70 percent of people with an overactive thyroid. Nodules on the thyroid – a condition called toxic nodular goiter or multinodular goiter – can also cause the gland to overproduce its hormones.
• Excessive thyroid hormone production leads to symptoms such as: restlessness, nervousness, racing heart, irritability, increased sweating, shaking, anxiety, trouble sleeping, thin skin, brittle hair and nails, muscle weakness, weight loss, bulging eyes (in Graves’ disease).
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is the opposite of hyperthyroidism. The thyroid gland is underactive, and it can’t produce enough of its hormones. Most cases of hypothyroidism are mild.
• Too little thyroid hormone production leads to symptoms such as: fatigue, dry skin, increased sensitivity to cold, memory problems, constipation, depression, weight gain, weakness, slow heart rate, coma
(Supplements)
The production of thyroid hormones requires: iron, iodine, tyrosine (amino acid), zinc, selenium, Vitamins E, Vitamin B (especially B2, B3, B6, B12), Vitamin C and D.
Let‘s overview some of the most important ones.
Iodine plays a vital role in thyroid health. To make thyroid hormones, your thyroid takes up iodine in small amounts. Without iodine, thyroid hormone production can decrease. A “low” or underactive thyroid gland can lead to a condition called hypothyroidism. The most popular and easy way to enrich your diet with iodine is to start using iodized salt in your diet.
Selenium is a trace element that plays a part in thyroid hormone metabolism. Many foods contain selenium, including: seafood, Brazil nuts, eggs, garlic. In the case of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an immune system attack on the thyroid, often reduces the body’s selenium supply. Supplementing this trace element has shown to help balance thyroxine, or T4, levels in some people. It’s important to talk with your doctor about how much selenium may be right for you since every person is different.
Vitamin B. Taking certain vitamin supplements can have an effect on your thyroid health. Low thyroid hormones can affect your body’s vitamin B-12 levels. Taking a vitamin B-12 supplement may help you repair some of the damage hypothyroidism caused. You can add more B vitamins to your diet with the following foods: peas and beans, asparagus, sesame seeds, tuna, seaweed (wakame), eggs.
Vitamin B-12 is generally safe for most healthy individuals at recommended levels. Talk with your doctor about how much vitamin B-12 may be right for you.
From the information provided by the researches, it is known that if there is an inflammation in the intestines, then there is an inflammation in the endocrine glands too, including the thyroid gland. Researches also say that many people with thyroid problems complain of indigestion. Bloating with unpleasant odor, constipation, diarrhea, food intolerance – these ailments develop into an intestinal infection, which become dominated by colonies of parasites and fungi.
IF you feel that you may have a thyroid disorder, contact your doctor and have a thyroid hormone test done immediately. Do not wait more complications, this will have a major effect on your health.
Stay healthy and fit.
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* All information provided on Vitality Tips are educational purposes only, seek your family doctor for professional advice on the matter.
