Your little thyroid gland can cause big problems

It’s just a little butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck, but it happens to produce the crucial hormones that regulate every aspect of your metabolism — from your calorie burn rate to your heart rate. When it isn’t functioning properly, you can experience a myriad of symptoms, but you won’t always pay that much attention to them. That’s because many of the signs of thyroid problems don’t seem serious or mimic other health issues.

But in fact, according to The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, at least 30 million Americans have a thyroid disorder, with women some 10 times more likely than men to have problems. And half of that 30 million are known as “silent sufferers,” meaning they have issues, but haven’t been diagnosed. Many of these people will eventually require a thyroidectomy.

A thyroidectomy is the removal of all or part of your thyroid gland.
It’s done to treat disorders including an overactive thyroid, enlarged goiters and cancer. How much of your thyroid gland is removed depends on your diagnosis.
Partial thyroidectomy
Your thyroid may be able to function normally after surgery, and you won’t need thyroid hormone therapy.
Total thyroidectomy
You will need daily thyroid hormone replacement

Most people don’t know that there’s anything wrong with their thyroid until their doctor tells them so. But there are some symptoms that could tip you off.

Signs you may have hyperthyroidism (your body produces too much thyroid hormone):

• Weight loss
• Heart palpitations
• Increased heart rate
• Higher than normal blood pressure
• Unusual nervousness
• Excessive perspiration
• More frequent bowel movements, sometimes with diarrhea
• Muscle weakness
• Hand tremors
• Goiter development
• Lighter or shorter menstrual periods

Signs you may have hypothyroidism (your body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone):

• Depression
• Slower mental processes
• Fatigue
• Slow heart rate
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Hand tingling or numbness
• Dry skin and hair
• Goiter development
• Constipation
• Heavy menstrual periods

If you have one or more of these symptoms not related to other diagnosed health problems, make an appointment with Dr. Buch today by calling: 908-725-8755.