Lorneka S R Joseph, CPhT
This month, Haitienne magazine would like to help bring awareness to a disease that affects men and women globally. However, according to the National Cancer Institute, thyroid cancer affects more women than men. Your thyroid is an organ located above your collar bone. The thyroid gland releases hormones that are responsible for growth and development, metabolism and regulation of body temperature. The hormones are called T3 (tri-iodo-thyro-nine) and T4 (thyroxine). Everyone’s thyroidgland makes a certain amount of T3 and T4. If your thyroid glandmakes too much thyroid hormone, it’s called hyperthyroidismand a low production is called hypothyroidism.
Now, you are probably wondering why you should even be thinking about your thyroid. Well, when your thyroid gland is not functioning properly, it can lead to a goiter or other issues. You can suffer from depression, abnormal weight gain, weight loss, decreased libido, irregular periods, thyroid cancer,loss of energy, infertility, a chronic condition called Hashimoto’s disease and the list goes on. Fortunately for millions of women around the world, being diagnosed with thyroid problems is not a death sentence and you can have an improved quality of life.
With the ever-increasing healthcare costs, it’s always a wise choice to discuss with your doctor, ways on how to first treatthyroid problems without medications. Some of those ways include: getting sufficient sleep, consuming the right amount of iodine in your diet and exercising.
If you’re challenged with some of the symptoms mentioned, do not ignore them because you are causing harm to your body. So this month, start the year off right by checking your neck and test your thyroid gland at your local doctor’s office.
References:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/thyroid/HealthProfessional
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/thyroiddiseases.html
Wells,BG, Schwinghammer, TL. Thyroid disorders. Pharmacotherapy handbook. 7th ed. Dipiro JT, Talbert RL, Yee GC, etal., eds. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2009:228-234.
Lorneka S R Joseph, CPhT
Florida Pharmacist Intern
5TH Year PharmD Candidate
Florida A&M University College of
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
