© 2024 KRCU Public Radio
90.9 Cape Girardeau | 88.9-HD Ste. Genevieve | 88.7 Poplar Bluff
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
With some questionable health advice being posted by your friends on Facebook, politicians arguing about the state of the American healthcare system and a new medical study being summarized in just a sentence or two on TV---that seems to contradict the study you heard summarized yesterday---it can be overwhelming to navigate the ever-changing landscape of health news.

January is Thyroid Awareness Month

You’ve probably heard of the thyroid gland, but do you know what it does? Most people aren’t usually aware of their thyroids unless something goes wrong. Thyroid trouble can cause a variety of seemingly unrelated problems, including drastic changes to  weight, energy, digestion,and mood.

It’s Thyroid Awareness Month.

The Harvard Medical School Guide to Overcoming Thyroid Problems compared the thyroid to an engine. Just as an engine produces the required amount of energy for a car to move at a certain speed, your thyroid gland manufactures enough thyroid hormone to prompt your cells to perform a function at a certain rate. The thyroid influences the function of many of the body’s most important organs. Just as you tell an engine how fast to go by stepping on the accelerator, the thyroid also needs some direction; it gets this from your pituitary gland.

However sometimes things break down. When the thyroid engine runs out of gas the thyroid can’t meet your body’s demands. As your body slows down, you may feel cold, tired and  depressed, and gain weight. Sometimes, the thyroid gets too revved up: it keeps churning out more thyroid hormone than you need, pushing your metabolism into overdrive and speeding up your body’s processes, This  hyperthyroidism can cause your pulse to race and make you irritable.

If you notice signs of thyroid disease, talk with a health professional. Based on your family history, symptoms, and medical exam, your provider can help you decide if further testing or treatment is needed.

Dr. Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs is an assistant professor in the Department of Leadership, Middle & Secondary Education. She writes for special publications of The Southeast Missourian and is a certified Community Health Worker.
Related Content