January is Thyroid Awareness Month - Community Health of Central Washington

According to the American Thyroid Association, 1 in 10 people suffer from a thyroid disorder.

They also found that at least 1 in 8 women will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime.

Additionally, more than half of the people in America that suffer from a thyroid disorder are undiagnosed? Raising awareness about the thyroid is important because it plays a significant role in the human body.

What is the Thyroid?

The thyroid is a gland in the neck in charge of your metabolism and creating new proteins. The gland directly affects almost every single organ. It is responsible for regulating skin integrity, menstrual cycles, calcium levels, the nervous system, heart, and cholesterol levels. In addition, it controls brain development, your body temperature, respiration, metabolism and fat production. Thyroid problems begin to occur when the thyroid gland produces too much hormone or not enough.

There are several illnesses and diseases related to the thyroid, including hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s disease, Graves’ disease, goiter, and thyroid cancer.

This butterfly-shaped gland makes thyroid hormones that help your body use energy and stay warm, according to the American Thyroid Association. Thyroid hormones also keep the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs working properly.

Types of Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer begins when the cells grow and multiply rapidly. These cells form a tumor and the abnormal cells can spread throughout the body.

There are no early symptoms. However, as the cells grow, they may cause a lump in the neck, swollen lymph glands, voice changes, and difficulty swallowing. Most cases of thyroid cancer can be cured with surgery to remove most or all of the thyroid. There are 4 types of Thyroid Cancer:

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Papillary thyroid cancer

The most common of the differentiated thyroid cancers. It grows slowly but may spread to lymph nodes on the neck.

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Medullary thyroid cancer

This is less common and cases are usually hereditary. However, it has a higher chance of spreading to the lymph nodes than other types.

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Follicular thyroid cancer

The second most common form of thyroid cancer. These cancer nodules grow slowly and near areas with high iodine deficiencies in the body. Thankfully, this is one of the easiest forms of thyroid cancer to treat.

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Anaplastic thyroid cancer

While this is the most aggressive form of thyroid cancer, it is thankfully the rarest. It is very dangerous because it grows rapidly and easily spreads.

Thyroid Awareness Month | A LetsGetChecked Survey

LetsGetChecked commissioned a survey to raise awareness of Thyroid Awareness Month. 68% of people believe that they are knowledgeable about the body, however the results prove otherwise.

Sources:
https://thesurgicalclinics.com/national-thyroid-awareness-month/
https://www.thyroid.org/