Do we know our Thyroid enough?

I recently attended an event on Thyroid awareness wherein Endocrinologist Dr Shehla Shaikh and celebrity guest Juhi Chawla threw light on interesting facts on Thyroid.

Juhi  shared her personal life experiences that her husband and father in law are suffering from Thyroid disorder themselves and  with a simple pill every morning, they have overcome this situation and leading a life to the fullest!

My mom too, who is suffering from Thyroid  from the last 5 years is living a healthy life. Just by getting her Thyroid hormone levels checked at regular intervals and taking medication on time has helped keep her thyroid  hormones in control.

Do you know that 1 in 10 Indian adults suffer from Thyroid Disorder! You could be one of them too.

The Thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped organ located on the front side of your neck along the windpipe.

There are two types of thyroid disorder- Hyperthyroidism (Excess secretion of thyroid hormone) and Hypothyroidism  (Less secretion of thyroid Hormone)

Hypothyroidism is a far more common disorder.

Signs and symptoms of Hypothyroidism :

-Unexplained weight gain

-Tiredness

-Change in voice

-Hair loss

-Swelling on face or neck

-Constipation

Thyroweight is the most common symptom for Hypothyroidism. Thyroweight is a combination of weight gain, fatigue and tiredness. Against all myths, Thryoweight is a weight gain of about 5-10 lbs. Healthy lifestyle, Diet along with a simple medication of a pill every day helps keep Thyroweight at bay.

These symptoms often go neglected as they easily get attributed to lifestyle changes for its generic nature.

However, one must be more careful with these signs if :

-you are a woman

-above 35 years

-your family has a history of thyroid disorder

-you are pregnant

What could be the cause of my Thyroid disorder ?

-A defective thyroid gland

-Congenital

-Drug induced

-Removal of thyroid gland through surgery

-Exposure to excessive amount of iodine

What are your responsibilities if you show symptoms of  Thyroid Disorder?

Consult your doctor if you experience more than one of the symptoms

– Get TSH test done after consulting with Doctor

Once diagnosed with the disorder:

-Take your medicines regularly

-Do not skip your medicine

-Do not change the brand of the medicine or the dosage without consultation with the doctor

– Get tests done at regular intervals

-Find time to take care of yourself

How often should I get my Thyroid test done ?

Newly detected hypothyroid patients should do tests every 6 to 8 weeks. Once the hormone balance is normal, tests could be done every 4-6 months upon doctors consultation

Even though the prevalence of thyroid disorder is 11% of the population in India, 76% of the people remain unaware & hence undiagnosed. Lets get more alert with the signals our body gives us and #RuleOutThyroweight

For more details visit to http://thyroidindia.com/thyroweight/

‘ Disclaimer: I attended a discussion on thyroid awareness facilitated by Abbott India Limited. Any opinion expressed in this blog is my personal opinion and not the opinion of Abbott India Limited. Abbott India Limited does not assume any liability for the content of the blog. The blog post is not meant to be a replacement for a doctor consultation, nor is it a medical recommendation or prescription of treatment for people having thyroid problems. Any reader of this blog suffering from thyroid problems should specifically consult his/her doctor for the same and follow the suggested course of treatment.’

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