Thyroid

The thyroid gland is a critical part of the maintenance of a healthy body. The thyroid regulates your metabolism, an essential mechanism for how the body breaks down and absorbs the foods and nutrients.

The thyroid gland is often described as a “bow-tie” shaped gland located in the lower front part of the neck. The thyroid surprisingly only weighs one ounce, but yet has a hefty responsibility in the body’s normal functions. The gland produces two hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine. These two hormones play a part in every cell in the body, and they regulate the metabolism. When you eat, these hormones balance fat and carbohydrates in the body, an essential element to health. They also regulate your body’s temperature and sensitivity to heat and cold, as well as keep your heart rate regular. In addition, the thyroid gland regulates the level at which calcium remains in the blood.

The thyroid develops very early in fetuses and is important to growth and development. As one ages, it continues to be important in regulating the metabolism. The gland contains a dietary iodine that performs an important biochemical process in the body. The cells push iodine into the bloodstream to be synthesized which in turn controls the pituitary gland and hypothalamus’ signal to produce normal levels of thyroxine and triiodothyronine by the thyroid to regulate the body. The levels of thyroxine and triiodothyronine in the blood affect the pituitary gland’s ability to release thyroid-simulating hormone (TSH). The thyroid can’t do its important job if this complex biochemical process doesn’t work and TSH is not produced between the thyroid and the pituitary gland.

It’s hard to believe that the thyroid affects almost every function in the body. Often called an “internal thermostat” the thyroid controls our body temperature and metabolism. The proper maintenance of the metabolism is critical to good health in the way it controls weight management and appetite. An overactive thyroid can have severe effects on the metabolism and can trigger your suspicion that something might be wrong. Signs of an overactive thyroid can be changes in appetite or sudden weight loss. Since the thyroid gland is the key player in controlling the metabolism, it has to perform its job to keep you in good health.

More than 20 million Americans have an overactive thyroid, caused by the production of too much of the thyroid’s main hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine. When your body produces too much of the hormone, you can have sleeplessness, muscle fatigue, fluctuation in weight, irritability and anxiety. The opposite of overactive thyroid where not enough of the hormones are produced can also lead to health issues.

There are a couple of reasons why doctors think some people’s thyroids don’t produce the right levels of hormones. One reason is Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disease that causes the thyroid to be enlarged and produce too much of the hormones. An inflammation of the thyroid called thyroiditis is also a culprit along with other thyroid enlarging disorders.

Put simply, the proper function of the thyroid as dictated by the pituitary gland is one of the most important, yet complex processes that occurs in your body. The hormones that the thyroid creates and releases into the body affect your energy level and how food is broken down and controlled by your metabolism. The very important gland also affects your reaction to heat and cold and light. Problems with your thyroid gland should not be ignored. Treatments for thyroid problems are effective for most people and can regulate the hormone levels controlled by the thyroid that are so critical to your good health.