What is the Thyroid Gland?

Thyroid gland is a small gland just below your voice box – it is shaped like a butterfly and is found in front of your neck. Because it is a very small one, it must work big! This gland regulates metabolism in your body – the way your body utilises energy to perform almost all activities, including walking, learning, breathing and even your heart beat.

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Why is the Thyroid Important?

The thyroid gland has a special body part known as chemicals which are hormones. These hormones assist in regulation of rate of functioning of each system in your body, this is referred to as metabolic rate. Well you know how a car needs gas to run? Well, the body needs thyroid hormones to run and function correctly.

 

What Are Thyroid Hormones? (T3 and T4)

The thyroid gland makes two main hormones:

• T3 (Triiodothyronine): This is a powerful hormone that has regulation of energy in your body for a greater part. It is this and that’s why that term is like the ‘fast’ button on any body. T3 makes you move, think, and metabolize at the proper pace for your body’s organs.
• T4 (Thyroxine): This is another hormone produced in the thyroid gland but it is a little slower in it action than T3. It’s like the “steady” button that is pressed every morning. T4 converts into T3 when your body requires energy for any kind of metabolic processes.

Like Heart pace, body temperature and how your body digests food, both T3 and T4 are part of the same team and function in concert.

How Does the Thyroid Work?

The thyroid hardly function on its own The. It is an organ in the body system that has other organs to regulate it. The pituitary gland — a very small organ located in the brain — checks on your thyroid activity. When it detects that your levels of thyroid hormones are low or high it releases a signal called the TSH- Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone to the gland in the throat that is called thyroid gland to produce either more of the T3&T4 hormones or produce less. This teamwork keeps your body working

Common Thyroid Problems

Like other body organs the thyroid can also give rise to problems. Here are some of the most common thyroid problems:

1. Hypothyroidism known as Underactive Thyroid

• What It Is: When the thyroid gland does not produce enough of T3 and T4 hormones, you are affected by hypothyroidism.
• Symptoms: Constant fatigue, weight gain, cold, and slow pulse.
• Cause: Hypothyroidism results from either the destruction of the gland or its inadequate supply of iodine, a component necessary for the production of thyroid hormones.

2. Thyroid gland is overactive or hyperactive and produces excess amount of hormones in the body than required.

• What It Is: This is the exact opposite hypothyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is a condition that arises from the gland producing excessive amounts of T3 and T4.
• Symptoms: Being nervous out, losing weight, finding it difficult to sweat, and having a fast heartbeat.
• Cause: A common cause is a condition known as Graves’ disease in which a person’s immune system stimulates the thyroid gland to be overactive.

 

3. Goiter

• What It Is: Goiter simply refers to a condition where the thyroid gland has become bigger than it should be. And this can happen when the thyroid gland produces too many hormones or maybe it does not produce enough hormones.
• Symptoms: Neck lumps and sometimes the lumps can be very large, which makes swallowing or breathing difficult.
• Cause: It can be a result of low iodine levels or it could be the thyroid’s way of attempting to compensate for lesser hormones.

4. Thyroid Nodules

• What They Are: Nodules are benign tumor formations of precisely thyroid tissue, tumors often being small lumps in the neck region. Generally, nodules are benign; however, they can overproduce thyroid hormones or become too big.
• Symptoms: They may not be any signs, but if a nodule becomes large enough it can cause a lump in the neck or difficulty swallowing.
• Cause: The exact cause may not always be clear, but nodules are more likely to happen as a person grows older.

 

Thyroid problems can be diagnosed via

The thyroid can be checked in several ways by doctors to determine it is functioning as it should. Here are the main ways:

• Blood Tests: The level of T3, T4, and TSH in blood can show if the thyroid is overactive, Hypo-active or even if the gland is working correctly.
• Physical Exam: A doctor may touch or palpate the front of neck in order to determine whether the thyroid gland is enlarged or if there are nodes.
• Ultrasound: An ultrasound is a test that uses sound waves to make images of the thyroid. This can assist the doctor check for presence of nodules or characteristics of change in size of the thyroid gland.
• Thyroid Scan: At other times, doctors can perform a scan that will show the level of activity within different parts of the thyroid. It’s like a map of where the thyroid might be over or underactive, you know, what we call in medicine hyper- or hypothyreosis.

What Can You Do to Keep Your Thyroid Healthy?

Of course to keep the thyroid in good shape you must take care of yourself. Here are some simple tips:

• Eat Iodine-Rich Foods: The substance that is required by the thyroid gland to produce hormones is called iodine. Fish dairy products and iodized salt are some of the food products that contain iodine.
• Regular Check-Ups: If you feel tired or cannot focus, if you see something that looks like a tennis ball growing on your throat, tell an adult they will take you to a doctor.
• Exercise and Sleep Well: Balancing life through proper diet, rest, and regular exercise are ways to maintain the body including the thyroid.

Fun Facts About the Thyroid

• Tiny But Mighty: The thyroid is roughly as heavy as a small bird but it is, but it is among the strongest glands in your body.
• Butterfly Shape: The thyroid glands has a strange shape – it resembles a butterfly that is located in the front of one’s throat.
• Works Like a Thermostat: Like a thermostat regulates the heat in our house, the thyroid regulates body energy and temperature.

Key Takeaways

• The thyroid is a small gland that controls energy in your body.
• It makes T3 and T4 hormones, which help keep your body systems working at the right speed.
• Sometimes the thyroid can make too little or too much hormone, causing issues like hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
• Eating well, exercising, and getting check-ups are good ways to help keep your thyroid healthy.