THE THYROID GLAND AND ITS HORMONE SECRETIONS.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 | 10:33 pmThe thyroid gland is situated in from of the throat, below the Adam’s apple and just above the breastbone. It is roughly U-shaped, each end of the U flaring out to a lobe about the size of the big toe.
The thyroid regulates the rate at which the body uses oxygen taken in by breathing. It also controls the rale at which the various organs of the body function and the speed with which the body uses food.
Myxoedema
This disorder is caused by an underfunctioning thyroid. Some babies are born with this deficiency. The infant may seem to develop too slowly in following objects with his eyes or holding his head erect.
Simple goitre
The thyroid gland needs iodine in order to manufacture the normal quantity of its hormone, called thyroxine. Insufficient iodine causes the gland to become enlarged. This swelling, or goitre, may be large enough to interfere with breathing and swallowing. Anyone with even a small goitre should consult a doctor.
The hormone of the thyroid gland contains about 65 per cent iodine, but the amount of iodine needed in food to avoid a goitre is very small. The amount of iodized table salt we use in meals is sufficient, even in areas where the soil is completely lacking in natural iodine.
Hyperthyroidism
A more serious type of goitre develops when the thyroid manufactures too much hormone. People with hyperthyroidism are nervous and irritable and suffer from insomnia. Heat makes them very uncomfortable. The excess secretion also produces heart palpitation that people frequently mistake for a true cardiac condition. Another symptom is loss of weight—in spite of increased hunger.
Hyperthyroidism is called exophthalmic goitre when the person whose thyroid gland is over-active has protruding eyes.
For many years the only treatment for hyperthyroidism was surgery; about 90 per cent of the gland was removed, and most persons were cured. Today, radio-active iodine is employed in some cases to cut down on the gland’s activity
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(posted in General health)
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