Your Thyroid Gland Be "Aware"

Jan. 7, 2011 - PRLog -- The month of January is “Thyroid Awareness Month”  Unlike our heart and lungs that we physically feel functioning everyday, we are not aware of our thyroid gland until we have problems that stem from this very important gland.
The thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped gland that is found just below the Adam’s apple.  The function of this gland is to produce and store hormones that regulate body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and the rate that our body turns our food into energy.  These hormones are very essential for every cell in our body.  Growth in children is determined by these hormones as well as our metabolism.
Iodine, a mineral that is found in iodized salt and certain foods in our diet such as sea vegetables, is used by the thyroid gland to produce these essential hormones.  Thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) are the two most important thyroid hormones.  Hormone production by the thyroid gland is stimulated by the pituitary gland that produces a hormone called thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).
The thyroid diseases that are the most common are hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and thyroid cancer.  An autoimmune condition that causes the body to destroy parts of the thyroid gland, called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism.  The most common cause of hyperthyroidism is Graves’s disease, a condition where the immune system produces an antibody that stimulates the entire thyroid gland.
If you develop any of the following symptoms that may be that may be signs that your thyroid gland is not functioning properly see your physician as soon as possible:
   •   difficulty swallowing
   •   pain in neck or throat
   •   a lump that you can feel on your neck or swollen lymph nodes
   •   change in your voice, hoarseness
   •   nervousness and tremor
   •   mental fog and poor concentration
   •   racing heartbeat
   •   body having problems tolerating heat or always cold

Although these symptoms are not definite proof that you have a thyroid disease, they will help your physician with a diagnosis.  When you are having your annual physical exams it very important to have your thyroid gland checked and have the blood work done that will determine that it’s hormone production is normal.  Another reason for regular checks of the thyroid gland is the early detection of thyroid cancer.  This cancer, if caught in its early stages, is the most curable.  And for more information about thyroid cancers go to http://www.fucoidanforhealth.com