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The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the front of your neck. Although so small, it influences, inter alia, on fertility, heart, hair, mood, sleep, weight, joints, menstrual cycle. The appearance of the thyroid gland reveals what is wrong with it. If it is shorter and squat, it may be Hashimoto’s disease. Endocrinologist Dr. Luiza Napiórkowska, MD, PhD in a short video presents this gland and explains the differences between a healthy and a diseased thyroid gland.
- Up to 200 million people worldwide have thyroid disorders, they are both men and women
- Among the most common diseases of the thyroid gland are: hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, goitre and thyroid nodules
- More current information can be found on the Onet homepage
Thyroid – although small, it is responsible for many functions
The thyroid gland is a small gland weighing no more than 60 g. It has a lot of blood supply. It is shaped like a butterfly. Located below the larynx at the base of the neck. It is a “factory” that produces hormones under the influence of TSH produced by the pituitary gland. Most of the production, i.e. 85%, is concentrated on thyroxine (T4), and much less on triiodothyronine (T3) and calcitonin.
Although small in size, it has a huge impact on our body. It supervises and regulates many processes, e.g. the work of the intestines, the nervous system, influences growth, sex hormones, bone metabolism and the production and maintenance of heat (thermogenesis).
The rest of the text below the video material.
Thyroid with the naked eye
Endocrinologist, diabetologist and internal medicine doctor Dr. Luiza Napiórkowska on her Facebook profile shows in a video what a sick and healthy thyroid looks like.
If we were able to see her with the naked eye, we would quickly recognize what was wrong with her. These can be nodules, Hashimoto’s disease or Graves’ disease.
Thyroid lumps
Occasionally, changes called nodules may appear on the thyroid gland. These are solid lesions or fluid-filled cysts. Some can be felt with your fingers. Most of them are mild, although some may be serious (cancerous), so they should be tested. The latter are most often hard and large, and can cause discomfort or pain.
Why do lumps appear on the thyroid gland? There may be several reasons for this. Too little iodine in the diet, hereditary burden, tissue overgrowth, inflammation of the thyroid gland, or Hashimoto’s disease.
Choroba Hashimoto
The most common disease is hypothyroidism, including Hashimoto’s disease. About 10 percent of them struggle with it. of the population, but half of them are aware of it.
It is a deficiency of T3 and T4 hormones, but an increased level of the pituitary hormone (TSH), which wants to stimulate the thyroid gland to work. This autoimmune disease develops gradually and takes time to be detected.
The most common symptoms are fatigue, drowsiness, decreased libido, dry skin, irritability, frequent constipation, brittle nails, weight gain, hair loss, joint pain. The treatment involves pharmacotherapy, which can be supported by a balanced diet rich in zinc, iodine, selenium, omega-3 and the elimination of simple sugars, carbohydrates and fatty foods.
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Graves disease
It is an autoimmune disease that leads to an overactive thyroid gland. The immune system attacks the thyroid gland and it begins to produce more hormones than the body needs. At the beginning of the disease, there may be increased heart rate and heart rhythm disturbances. Untreated disease can lead to osteoporosis.
In the overt phase, patients lose weight, are tired and irritable. Their hands may tremble, they suffer from insomnia, they sweat, they lose their hair, and they become brittle, just like their nails. It can also occur, although less frequently, to the so-called pre-shin edema. Occasionally, the fingertips also become thickened and rounded. This is called thyroid acropachy. In women, menstruation occurs less frequently, in men it is caused by erectile dysfunction. It can also come to the so-called orbitopathy, i.e. exophthalmia, swelling of the eyelids and periorbital tissues, conjunctival redness and limitation of the mobility of the eyeballs.
There are three treatments for this Graves disease: pharmacotherapy, radioiodine, and surgery.
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