6 important thyroid facts everyone should know

Thyroid conditions can affect almost every facet of your life, but many people still don't understand why. Here are some important facts about thyroids you should know.

• Although small, the butterfly-shaped thyroid gland plays a huge role in controlling your body’s basic metabolic rate, or the speed at which essential chemical functions take place in your cells.
• The thyroid secretes hormones that stimulate your tissues into using more oxygen, producing more protein and generally working harder.
• If anything happens to go awry with this vital, double-lobed gland, the resulting havoc can be felt throughout your body.

• Sometimes, the thyroid puts out too much hormone, making all your systems rev up into overdrive. This disorder is known as hyperthyroidism.
• The polar opposite is hypothyroidism, which happens when the gland releases too little thyroid hormone.
• Hypothyroidism's predominant symptom is a sense of sluggishness, both mental and physical.
• Other symptoms include muscle aches, constipation, weight gain, dry skin and hair and a feeling of being cold all the time.
• Hypothyroidism is about four times more common in women than in men. It's also a particular risk for post-menopausal women.

• Common types of hypothyroid disease are caused by mild auto­immune disorders that cause the body to target the thyroid.
• Less often, the pituitary gland in your brain fails to produce enough thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), the chemical that prompts the thyroid to work.
• While hypo­thyroidism frequently runs in families, it also appears for no obvious reason.
• Sometimes, an underactive thyroid will follow treatment for an overactive one. Surgery may remove too much of the thyroid gland, or radiation can affect hormone production.
• If other hormones are disturbed elsewhere, as in pregnancy or menopause, hypothyroidism may result.

If you have a thyroid condition, these are probably the first things to expect:

• Thyroid replacement hormone in the form of daily oral tablets.
• Period of adjustment to fine-tune the dosage.
• Regular checkups and blood tests to monitor the gland and hormone levels.

Once you've been diagnosed on put on medication, it's important to remember the following:

• Stay on your medication. No matter how good you feel, don't stop taking your medicine or you'll start feeling droopy and sick again.
• Consciously monitor how you feel. If you're still chronically tired after taking the hormone for a while, you may not be getting enough. If you're restless or sweating, you may be getting too much. Either way, talk to your doctor.
• Check your own thyroid. Occasionally use your thumb and fingertips to press very gently along the front of your neck just below the Adam’s apple. Feel for lumps and bumps, which may signal thyroid trouble.
• Remind your doctor about all the medications you're taking. A variety of prescription drugs, including estrogen, tamoxifen and lithium, can affect thyroid hormone levels.

For the latest word from physicians and scientists on thyroid disorders, contact the Thyroid Foundation of Canada (1-800-267-8822).

Found in more than one million Canadians, a thyroid disorder affects the body’s ­metabolism. And when hormones produced by the thyroid gland get out of whack, a range of problems — from sluggishness to sleeplessness — can result.