Thyroid Disease, Cancer and Disorder

The thyroid is a gland that has a shape similar to that of a common moth. The thyroid gland's purpose is to create a hormone called hypothyroidism as well as iodine rich hormones. The thyroid gland is responsible for determining the rate at which energy is used by the cell of your body.

The thyroid is positioned over the bodies windpipe. Thyroid disorders can contribute to weight management issues in addition to anxiety disorders to name a few of the factors your thyroid can affect. One of the more serious issues with a thyroid gland is thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer is not easily detected as this type of cancer causes practically no symptoms in many patients. If symptoms are present with cases of thyroid cancer they will include enlarged lymph nodes, hoarseness of voice and neck pains.

Cancer of the thyroid grows within the gland, within a nodule of the gland. If you notice that you do have a nodule in the area of your thyroid you should not panic! Over 80% of the population has this nodule, and it does not mean you have or will develop thyroid cancer. Less than 3% of the 80% of people who have this nodule will develop thyroid cancer.

The good news is thyroid cancer is curable, and treatments have a very high success rate. Chemotherapy is frequently the treatment prescribed after the thyroid gland has been removed.

Thyroid disease plagues many people as thyroid cancer does. Treatment of thyroid disease, cancer and disorders are often very affordable with low cost medications.

If you have concerns about your thyroid nodule, or you are experiencing abnormal weight management issues in combination with low blood iron and anxiety issues you should consult your family physician to have your thyroid gland tested to determine if you have and under or over active thyroid, thyroid disease, cancer or another type of thyroid disorder.

The thyroid gland is not often thought about when a person is considering their overall health, but it should be when the effects the thyroid gland can have on your physical well being are considered. I hope this article helps you to better understand your thyroid gland and the effect it can have on your weight, your mental health and your metabolism.

I wrote this article because a dear friend of mine has been struggling with her weight and recently learned that she has a thyroid disorder. In her case I watched her practically starve herself dieting, and she gained over 150 pounds in a year while eating salads and green beans almost exclusively. This inspired me to learn as much as I could about the thyroid gland and to share this information with others.