Thyroid (갑상선)

The thyroid, a 2-inch-long, butterfly-shaped organ that sits at the front of the throat, plays one of the most important roles in the body.

 

The control center of the endocrine system, the thyroid pumps out hormones that help determine how smoothly and quickly the body runs when converting calories to energy, contracting the heart muscle, or recalling a memory, among other things. In other organ generates too few or too many hormones, it can affect all the systems in the body; these problems are called thyroid disorders.

 

Because there are no telltale symptoms of a thyroid disorder, the vast majority ― up to 13 million cases ―go undiagnosed. Thyroid disesase most frequently presents symptoms at puberty, more in adolescent girls than in boys.

 

 

▶Symptoms of hypothyroidism (or underactive thyroid) : fatigue, weight gain, muscle and joing pain, forgetfulness, mood swings.

   This condition is detected with a blood test that measures the amount of thyroidstimulating hormone in the body. If the results reveal hypothyroidism, a doctor will usually prescribe a thyroid hormone replacement pill.

 

 

▶Symptoms of hyperthyroidism (or overactive thyroid) : anxiety, sudden weight loss, racing heartbeat, insomnia.

  An antithyroid medication that slows the gland's production of hormones can treat the condition. More serious cases may require a radioactive iodine treatment that destroys the thyroid without harming other parts of the body. People who undergo this prodedure must take thyroid hormone replacement pills for the rest of their lives. Not frequently, symptoms that begin in adolescence will subside spontaneously or after a year of drug therapy.

 

 

About 5 percent of Americans have hypothyroidism, while 1 percent have hyperthyroidism. Women are much more likely to experience either condition than men are.

 

Adults need about 150 milligrams of iodine a day for thyroid hormone production. The mineral is found in fish, seaweed, and iodized salt.

 

Because thyroid disorders are so prevalent in women, some doctors recommend that women have their thyroids checked every 3 years begining at age 35.