UNMASKING YOUR THYROID : KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF THYROID GLAND DISORDER

Are you aware of Thyroid Gland Disorder? Did you know how important our thyroid gland is? Do you know what are the symptoms of hypothyroidism & hyperthyroidism? Did you know that according to a study by the Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism in 2012, one in 11 Filipino adults has goiter, and around one in 12 Filipino adults suffers from some form of thyroid disorders? Millions of Filipinos are affected by problems with their thyroid, yet awareness of this disease is very low. The symptoms of thyroid disorders are often mistaken  for other diseases, or worse, are ignored by patients with the disease. 

To raise awareness of thyroid disorder, Merck Inc. held a bloggers event at the Radisson Blu Hotel. 

Dr. April Melody Abcede, of the Philippine Society Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, gave an informative talk on what the thyroid is, as well as the symptoms of thyroid disease.

I  attended the said event because I am really hoping I can find an answer regarding my mom's condition. My mom has a goiter for 25 years now, and we had it checked already. The doctor said that there is nothing to worried about because it's non-toxic goiter but still the doctor's recommendation is to have it removed. Since my mom is scared, up until now, she still have it. After the discussion and the open forum last night where I was able to ask Dr. April Melody Abcede  regarding my mom's condition. Now I get to talk to my mom the things that I have learned last night, which I will share here on my blog as well.

Let me start it with what and how important our thyroid gland is. The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped organ found at the lower middle part of the neck. It is sometimes referred to as the “master controller” of metabolism, and is important to health and well-being. The thyroid creates, stores, and releases thyroid hormones into the blood. Thyroid hormones are important to the normal function of our body, and affect everything from the brain to our other organs. It regulate vital body functions, including: Breathing, Heart rate, Central and Peripheral nervous systems, body weight, muscle strength, menstrual cycles, body temperature, as well as our cholesterol levels.The thyroid gland uses iodine from the foods we eat to make two main hormones:

According to Dr. Abcede, it is important that these two main hormones, T3 and T4 are neither too high nor too low. It is important that it is well balanced, since the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, communicates to maintain T3 and T4 balance, and if not, it will cause Thyroid dysfunction. Dr. Abcede  had discussed the different conditions concerning our thyroid glands. She talked about the difference between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. 

What is Hypothyroidism? Patients with hypothyroidism, or too little thyroid hormone (T3 & T4), tend to have slower metabolism: they gain weight despite not eating much, move and speak slowly, feel tired and have depressed thoughts, cannot tolerate cold and have irregular menstrual periods. 

People with Hypothyroidism is advised to eat food rich with iodine. Meaning to say, more iodine intake.

What is Hyperthyroidism? Patients with hyperthyroidism, or too much thyroid hormone, will have hyperactive metabolism: they lose weight despite having good appetite, have heart palpitations, irritable thoughts and tend to have trouble sleeping, have sweating and heart intolerance, and can have tremors in their hands.

People with Hyperthyroidism is advised to lessen iodine intake.

In order to take pre-cautionary measures, we need to be extra mindful on the food we eat. These are the equivalents of how much iodine we need daily. 

More information can be found online in the website www.thyroid.ph. This is an online repository of information where people can learn more about thyroid disorders. The website also contains useful guides which can help people check themselves for symptoms of thyroid disorders, such as goiter, hyperthyroidism, or hypothyroidism. You can also take a quiz to determine whether you have hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. 

There are a lot of people who may have thyroid disorders, but aren't even aware until it's too late. It is important to have one's thyroid checked as early as possible, especially if there is family history of the disease (which in my case, I have 80% chance to inherit it with my mom), or during pregnancy. Prevention, proper information and early detection will always be better than cure! 

I have learned so much from the event last night, I also hope that you have learned something from reading my post. Please do help me share this info by clicking the share button, may it be on google, facebook or twitter. 😊 Thank you!