Local Experts Weigh in on Metabolism Dos and Don’ts
By Brittanney Meacham | 11th February 2008
Doctors Terry Meridan and Jeffrey Chang, are area experts who determine and treat ailments like Thyroid disorders all day if office hours permit. The thyroid gland is the biggest gland in the neck. It is situated in the anterior (front) neck below the skin and muscle layers. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland and sits in the front middle section of your neck. The gland produces thyroid hormones, which regulate body metabolism. It controls important functions in your body such as growth, mental awareness, and how your body handles the break down of foods.
According to Chang, if thyroid problems are ignored or go untreated, an array of problems can and likely will occur. One of the problems is ovulation problems. Usually this problem occurs when the malfunctioning thyroid produces too much or too little hormone. If left untreated, thyroid problems can cause cancer to develop.
Thyroid cancer is rare, and occurs in less than 10% of thyroid nodules. You might have one or more thyroid nodules for several years before they are determined to be cancerous.
Meriden says that if there are suspected problems with the gland one should make an appointment to see a doctor. People who have received radiation treatment to the head and neck earlier in life, possibly as a remedy for acne, tend to have a higher-than-normal propensity for thyroid cancer.
Even though there are several problems which occur with abnormal thyroid problems, many things can be done to care for it. Both Doctors agree that one way to show a little love to your Thyroid is to get plenty of exercise.
“Exercise stimulates the Thyroid, making it work more effectively,” said Chang.
Chang also stressed that exercise alone cannot cure a thyroid ailment. However, activity can help with making all Thyroids, normal or abnormal run more smoothly.
The process of hormone synthesis begins in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus releases thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). The TRH moves through the bloodstream to the pituitary gland, which is also in the brain. The pituitary gland releases thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) into the blood. The TSH then stimulates the thyroid to produce the two main thyroid hormones, L-thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). The thyroid gland also needs adequate amounts of dietary iodine to be able to produce T4 and T3.
Another way to love your thyroid is to make sure to limit sugar intake. Sugar has few nutrients and is not healthy for the body.
Yet another way to love your thyroid is to be up to date and knowledgeable on various thyroid problems.
Hyperthyroidism means the thyroid is receiving too much thyroid hormone. Current methods used for treating a hyperthyroid patient are radioactive iodine, anti-thyroid drugs, or removal of a section of the thyroid. Each method has advantages and disadvantages and is selected for individual patients by their physician. Some times the situation will suggest that all three methods are appropriate, while other circumstances will dictate a single best therapeutic option. Surgery is the least common treatment for hyperthyroidism.
Hypothyroidism means too little thyroid hormone and is a common problem. In fact, hypothyroidism is often present for a number of years before diagnosed and treated. Some of the symptoms of this ailment is memory lose, dry skin and constant fatigue. Hypothyroidism can even be associated with pregnancy. Treatment for all types of hypothyroidism is usually straightforward.
Each individual patient will have any number of these symptoms which will vary with the severity of the thyroid hormone deficiency and the length of time the body has been deprived of the proper amount of hormone. Some patients will have one of these symptoms as their main complaint, while another will not have that problem at all and will be suffering from a different symptom. Most people will have a combination of a number of these symptoms. Rarely, some patients with hypothyroidism have no symptoms at all, or they are just so subtle that they go unnoticed.
Thyroiditis is an inflammatory process ongoing within the thyroid gland. Thyroiditis can present with a number of symptoms such as fever and pain, but it can also present as subtle findings of hypo or hyper-thyroidism. There are a number of causes, some more common than others.
With all this doom and gloom of conditions and side effects aside, there is a reassuring side to thyroid problems. Thyroid problems can be found with a simple blood test. Thyroid problems are usually treated with simple medication.
A physician will usually take a blood sample every month to make sure monitored hormone levels are sustained. After the blood has been analyzed, the physician will determine if any changes to medication is necessary.
Chang and Meriden both stress that if one has a thyroid problem and the condition is treated, that patients can live a normal, healthy life.