Thyroid Care and How To Walk The Healthy Path

Friday, October 08, 2021

Checking your Thyroid (image from Mercgroup website)

Thyroid disease has been in my Father's side of the family for generations. According to health some studies, there's a greater likelihood that problems with it is somewhat hereditary. Early signs include digestive problems, mood swings, weight fluctuations, skin issues, difficulty in changing weather, vision probs, hair loss or memory problems. It can be caused by your thyroid having difficulties in making the right amount of hormones that will keep your body from functioning normally. If it's causing your body to use energy quickly, it's hyperthyroidism. If it doesn't do it much, it can easily make you tired, gain weight and not stand the cold weather. There are a lot of people affected by thyroid disease and anyone, of any age, can be a part of that statistic.

In a recent event I attended about Thyroid Care: Walking the Healthy Path, Dr. Nemencio Nicodemus Jr. who currently is the President of the Philippine Thyroid Association says "The country has seen a rise in Thyroid disease since 1993 including goiter. It happens more than that of diabetes, which is about 9 out of 100."

They also stated a WHO study that indicates that it's the 7th most common cancer type in the country next to cervical cancer. Leading pharmaceutical company Merck hosted the event. Dr. Adrian Fernando of the Head and Neck Unit of Benavides Cancer Institute at the UST Hospital says "The rise in Thyroid Cancer cases is attributed mostly to genetics. It is also caused by increasingly unhealthy lifestyle. We need to make everyone aware and improve the current cancer registry so we can implement management guidelines."

We learned that most of these thyroid disorders though can actually be treated especially if they are detected at an early stage. This is done by medically supervised head and neck exams and using ultrasound for the thyroid area. If you have lumps or nodules in this place, it may lead to cancer so it's best to consult a doctor if you see any issues. They could conduct blood tests and check for abnormal amount of T4/T3 hormones. Henry Wilson, the President and Managing Director for Healthcare at Merck says "Our research and development efforts are funded well and is capable of creating the best medicines and treatments for thyroid disease. You can start taking care of yourself by living a healthy lifestyle, eating iodine rich food. Start with fish, dairy, and lessen radiation (your exposure to it).

If you want to know more about Thyroid care, they have put up lots of information on their Umansking Your Thyroid Facebook page. They also suggest you to visit Thyroid.ph and thyroidaware.com if you need to check for symptoms, there's a lot of resources on these sites. As doctors say, you should always seek doctors advise, they've studied years for it so you get professional help.

It was a good day to learn about thyroid health.


COW

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