You hear about the thyroid gland all the time, but do you know how important it is to women? There are around 20 million Americans right now that are affected by some kind of thyroid disease, and around 60-percent of those individuals don’t even realize that they have a thyroid condition. Moreover, women are much more likely to develop thyroid issues than men are, particularly after they have reached the age of menopause. One in eight women will develop a thyroid problem during their lifetime.
This means that you have a chance of having trouble with your thyroid in the future, so if you don’t know what the thyroid is and how if influences your health, you could be in for a shock later on. That’s why, if you want to take charge of your health, you need to learn everything you can about your thyroid, including what it does, why it is important, and how you can reduce your risk of developing a thyroid-related condition in the future.
What Is The Thyroid?
The thyroid is an endocrine gland present in the throat. It is uniquely butterfly-shaped and is found below the Adam’s apple and cricoid cartilage. While the size can vary based on your intake of iodine and other health-related issues, the thyroid usually weighs around 15-20 grams, and each lobe is around the size of an orange slice.
The thyroid uses iodine to produce thyroxine. The release of this hormone is dependent on the pituitary gland, which produces thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Thyroxine has a number of uses in the body, including controlling metabolism, heart rate, and the force with which the heart muscles squeeze. Other influences include the speed of motility, bone loss, and the rate of sugar metabolism.
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