YOUR THYROID WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The thyroid makes hormones that travel through your bloodstream and regulate how your body breaks down food and uses it for energy. It is part of the endocrine system, which includes the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, thymus, pineal gland, testes, ovaries, adrenal glands, parathyroid and pancreas. Visit hormone.org for more information. ABOUT YOUR THYROID
The thyroid The thyroid is governed secretes hormones by the pituitary (called that help regulate: the “master gland”), a pea-sized organ brain development located at the base and function of the brain.
eyes The thyroid is a heart butterfly shaped gland at the front of the neck. skin and hair
weight/metabolism
intestine function
HOW IT WORKS
1 2 3 4 Pituitary gland checks Pituitary tells thyroid Thyroid uses iodine Thyroid disorders amount of thyroid to make more or less (mainly from seafood occur when hormone in blood hormone so there’s and dairy products) to something goes always a balanced make thyroid hormone; wrong with the amount iodine is absorbed process, and too
through intestine into much or too little • SEPTEMBER 2014 bloodstream, then thyroid hormone is makes its way to produced thyroid ENDOCRINE News 31 THYROID DISORDERS: occur when thyroid releases too many (overactive) or too few (underactive) hormones. These disorders frequently run in families, and are more common in women.
ÀIncreased bowel ÀIrritability ÀIrregular movements menstruation (light) HYPERTHYROIDISM ÀFatigue = OVERACTIVE ÀIncreased sweating ÀVision problems ÀAnxiety/ ÀWeight loss nervousness
ÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀ/03."-5):30*%'6/$5*0/ÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀÀ ÀConstipation ÀWeight gain ÀIrregular HYPOTHYROIDISM menstruation (heavy) = UNDERACTIVE ÀIntolerance ÀDry skin, to cold dry hair ÀFatigue
*':06)"7&"5):30*%%*403%&3 ✓ 5BLFZPVSQSFTDSJCFE ✓ )BWFZPVSIFBMUIDBSF ✓ &BUBCBMBODFEEJFU NFEJDBUJPOBTEJSFDUFE QSPWJEFSDIFDLGPSOPEVMFT ✓ (FUFOPVHITMFFQBOE ✓ #FBXBSFPGESVHJOUFSBDUJPOT exercise += ?
NODULES À-VNQPSTXFMMJOHJOUIZSPJEHMBOE Estimated new cases of À/PFGGFDUPOUIZSPJEGVODUJPO VTVBMMZOPFGGFDUPOUIZSPJEIPSNPOF thyroid cancer in 2014: À.PSFUIBOBSFOPUIBSNGVMPSEBOHFSPVT CVUTPNF DBOCFDBODFSPVT À/PEVMFTDBOCFEFUFDUFECZBÜOFDLDIFDLÝCZZPVSIFBMUIDBSF QSPWJEFS
THYROID CANCER 15,190 47,790 À.PTUDPNNPOFOEPDSJOFDBODFS À0DDVSTJOBMMBHFT DIJMESFOUISPVHITFOJPST À/PTZNQUPNTJOFBSMZTUBHF À"CPVUUXPPVUPGFWFSZUISFFQFPQMFEJBHOPTFEBSFCFUXFFO BHFTBOE
Patients have questions. We have answers. The Hormone Health Network is your trusted source for endocrine patient education. Our free, online resources are available at hormone.org. Additional editing by Alan Farwell, MD, Boston Medical Center