January is thyroid awareness month and a chance to learn more about not only what your thyroid is but also what it does.
“It’s kind of below where your voice box is, most people don’t know it’s there, because it’s there and you don’t feel it,” Dr. Stan Garrett with Covenant said.
For being a small gland, the thyroid has a big job.
“The little gland that runs our body at the speed it should run,” Dr. Garrett said.
He said there are some things that can be signs of problems with your thyroid you may want to be aware of and mention to your doctor.
“The most common complaint people have is they come in, ‘I’m tired all the time,'” said Dr. Garrett. “And that is one of the things you look at when you investigate. Other symptoms: they may have hair loss, constipation, may have unexplained weight gain, women may have menstrual problems. That’s the more common other complaints people make. But again, that could be the symptoms of a lot of other things also.”
According to Dr. Garrett, thyroid problems are more common in women than they are in men.
“Women starting at age 50 typically are now screened with a test called TSH, which is used as initial testing, usually every 3 to 5 years,” Dr. Garrett said.
One way to keep the thyroid healthy and producing the hormone you body needs is through iodine, according to Dr. Garrett.
