Thyroid Health How to Stay Balanced
January is Thyroid Awareness Month. It is time to pay attention to that butterfly-shaped gland responsible for many essential activities in the body.
According to recent statistics, up to 60% of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition. Most associate their symptoms with other ailments, and due to the lack of proper diagnosis, they end up at risk of other more serious conditions.
Thus, the importance of understanding the role of the thyroid gland in the normal functioning of our body and the symptoms that can alert us of thyroid disorder.
What is the Thyroid gland, and What Does It Do?
The thyroid gland is located on the front of the neck just above the collarbone, and as long as it has a normal size, a person cannot feel it.
As an endocrine gland, the thyroid secrets different hormones that help regulate vital activities in our body, such as:
- Regulate our metabolism,
- Burn fat,
- Regulate cholesterol and blood sugar
- Regulate our body’s sensitivity to other hormones
- Regulate blood flow and body temperature
- Sexual function
- Sleep
- Normal development
- Thought patterns
What Happens When the Thyroid Gland Doesn’t Work Properly?
As shown above, the thyroid gland is vital to our wellbeing. When we experience hormonal imbalances, the thyroid gland will not function properly, and this can cause many different problems.
Whether the thyroid gland is secreting an abnormally large amount of hormones or, on the contrary, an insufficient amount, it can throw the body off balance and give way to a range of symptoms.
Women are more likely to develop thyroid conditions than men, especially after pregnancy or menopause.
Common Thyroid Conditions
Thyroid conditions include:
- Hypothyroidism: this refers to an underactive thyroid gland. In other words, a gland that is not secreting enough hormone to keep the body running normally. When thyroid hormone levels are low, a person can feel colder, fatigued, and depressed. They can experience constipation, and their skin becomes dry.
- Hyperthyroidism: just the opposite of hypothyroidism. In this case, the body produces too much thyroid hormone causing the body to “speed up.” Therefore, a person can experience anxiety, nervousness, irritability, increased sweating, difficulty sleeping, weakness in muscles, thinning of the skin, and brittle hair. Additionally, the patient may experience involuntary weight loss despite having a good appetite and eating normally.
- Goiter: the abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. A goiter can be present without this meaning a malfunction of the thyroid gland, or it can occur along with hyper or hypothyroidism.
- Thyroid nodule: an abnormal growth of the thyroid cells that form a lump within the thyroid gland. Nodules are usually benign, but a small percentage can contain thyroid cancer.
- Thyroid cancer: there are many thyroid cancer types. Warning signs include a lump or swelling in the neck.
Treatment for Thyroid Disease
Most thyroid diseases are treatable with proper medical attention.
Treatment will depend on the thyroid disorder found, but in many cases, it involves hormone therapy.
How BioTE can help:
BioTE can help restore hormonal balance and reduce or eliminate the undesirable effects of thyroid hormone imbalance if you have been diagnosed with thyroid disease.
BioTE is a bio-identical form of hormone therapy that strives to return the hormone balance and reduce the effects and symptoms caused by thyroid conditions. BioTE uses subcutaneous pellets that release the right number of hormones as your body requires them.
At Revivify Medical Spa, we are a doctor-owned and operated facility. Therefore, you can be confident that all our treatments are safe.
Call to schedule your consultation today and learn how Bio-TE can help you regain control of your life.
