January is Thyroid Awareness Month

January is Thyroid Awareness Month

The month of January is Thyroid Awareness month. Over twelve percent of Americans will develop some variant of Thyroid condition during their lifetime and according to The Department of Veterans Affairs an estimated 20 million people in the United States have some form of Thyroid disease, whether they know it or not! In fact, up to sixty percent of them are completely unaware of their condition! While many thyroid diseases are life-long conditions that can be managed with medication and medical attention the ultimate causes of many thyroid issues are still mostly unknown.

What Does The Thyroid Do?

Your thyroid gland, (assuming it is working correctly) casts a huge influence over your body’s metabolism via hormones produced both within the thyroid and elsewhere in the body. Your thyroid influences menstrual cycles, calcium levels, cholesterol levels, skin integrity, and even metabolism, temperature, fat production and respiration according to the American Thyroid Association.

It is located beneath the larynx in the throat. The most obvious signs of an issue with someone’s thyroid is swelling or goiter or even thyroid cancer as the tumors associated with this life threatening condition are often visible much sooner than other cancers.

 

 

Conditions Associated With The Thyroid

Most of the medical conditions stemming from a dysfunction of the thyroid gland have to do with either too much hormone production or too little, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, which is far more common.

Some of the most commonly occurring symptoms associated with thyroid dysfunction are: Depression, Constipation, Chronic Fatigue, Heart Palpitations, inexplicable hair loss, weight loss or gain, trouble sleeping or dryness of the skin or hair.

Another serious thyroid illness is Hashimoto’s disease also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, which causes most of the hypothyroidism in the US affecting approximately 14 million Americans. Hashimoto’s can arise at any age but it tends to be most common in middle-aged women, when the body’s immune system mistakes the thyroid for a foreign body and attacks the gland, slowly destroying it and it’s ability to produce the hormones that regulate the body.

Jane Sadler, MD, Family Physician, spoke to KSAT in Florida,

“One of the most common complaints I get from women is that they are fatigued, they’re overweight, that they can’t concentrate and it’s all because of their thyroid.”
 
“It can be a critical disease and so, it’s important for people to seek out routine care.”

Women are reportedly five to eight times more likely than men to have thyroid problems, and a few subtle hints are out there that indicate a thyroid problem early. A puffy looking face or blurred vision can be quick indicators or even differences in the way food tastes. While that last one is definitely subjective, it can be a huge indication of a problem and should be checked out.

Pregnant woman who have either undiagnosed or insufficiently treated hypothyroidism are documented as having an increased risk of miscarriage, premature delivery and even severe developmental problems for the children.

How can Hypothyroidism be treated?

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) with the National Institutes of Health (NIH),

“Hypothyroidism is treated by replacing the hormones that your own thyroid can no longer make. You will take levothyroxine NIH external link, a thyroid hormone medicine identical to a hormone a healthy thyroid makes.3 Usually prescribed in pill form, this medicine is also available as a liquid and as a soft gel capsule. These newer formulas may help people with digestive problems to absorb the thyroid hormone. Your doctor may recommend taking the medicine in the morning before eating.
 
Your doctor will give you a blood test about 6 to 8 weeks after you begin taking the medicine, adjusting your dose if needed. Each time your dose is adjusted, you’ll have another blood test. Once you’ve reached a dose that’s working for you, your doctor will probably repeat the blood test in 6 months and then once a year.
 
Your hypothyroidism most likely can be completely controlled with thyroid hormone medicine, as long as you take the recommended dose as instructed. Never stop taking your medicine without talking with your doctor first. Taking too much thyroid hormone medicine can cause serious problems, such as atrial fibrillation  or osteoporosis .”

As a pharmaceutical distributor Apotheca Wholesale Pharmaceuticals is well equipped and ideally suited to help your business wade through the uncertain changes that 2022 will bring, supporting you as we have since the beginning of the COVID19 Emergency. Hormonal medications are crucial to the well-being of patients with Thyroid conditions and we have the supply lines and service to keep you well supplied.

Contact us today at Customerservice@apothecainc.com or call us at 602-252-5244.