Boost Your Thyroid Health Knowledge

It’s easy to take your thyroid health for granted. Unless you have a thyroid problem, you may not give any thought at all to what your thyroid does. However, our thyroid helps many things in our body to function properly. January is Thyroid Awareness Month, so make it a New Year’s resolution to broaden your thyroid knowledge.

Where Is the Thyroid?

Put your hands on the bottom of your neck, toward the front. That’s where your thyroid is located. It’s a small, butterfly-shaped gland, and it’s part of our endocrine system.

What Does the Thyroid Do?

The thyroid is small but mighty. It’s responsible for our metabolism, body temperature, cognitive function, digestion and more. “The thyroid affects the entire body and when it is not working properly, you will definitely feel the effects,” according to an article from the National Academy of Hypothyroidism.

What Are Some Thyroid Health Problems?

You’ve probably met someone who has hypothyroidism. In this person, the thyroid hormones aren’t producing enough for the body to function properly, and this slows down bodily function. On the other hand, hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, feeling cold in the hands and feet, and weight gain. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include weight loss and feeling amped up all the time. Other thyroid problems include Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s disease, goiter (a thyroid enlargement), thyroid cancer, and thyroid nodules.

How Can I Keep My Thyroid Healthy?

Eating a balanced diet goes a long way in avoiding many health problems, including thyroid problems. Sometimes, you may need to consume more items with iodine or iron to help your thyroid, but don’t do this without your doctor’s OK. Minimize your exposure to radiation in the thyroid area—for instance, if you are getting an X-ray at the dentist’s office, ask for a thyroid shield. If you use thyroid hormones, take them as directed, no matter how you are feeling that day.

Call Secure Aging to Find Out How We Can Help Seniors

At Secure Aging in Bradenton, we transform the weight of the world into a sigh of relief for our senior clients and their concerned family members. The mission of Secure Aging is to protect and preserve our client’s independence and dignity through careful and thoughtful financial and care management. As our clients age, it is their desire to remain independent and age with dignity. Our services protect our clients from talented con artists looking to exploit and deplete the financial resources of our vulnerable seniors. Secure Aging helps families in Manatee County and Sarasota County and in and around the communities of Anna Maria, Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, Ellenton, Holmes Beach, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat Key, Myakka City, Palmetto, Parrish, and Sarasota. Call us at 941-761-9338, or visit us online at www.secureaging.com.

Comments are closed.