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Senior Living Experts is celebrating Thyroid Awareness Week with some information about your thyroid health. You may be surprised at how important the thyroid is to your body!
Chicago seniors have the advantage of utilizing the services we offer, combined with the knowledge we provide so YOU can be in charge of aging well. Let’s learn more about the thyroid.
The thyroid is gland. Located in the throat, it is a butterfly shaped gland that secretes hormones into the blood. These hormones help control nearly every organ in your body and more. Your thyroid affects your
It’s easy to see how important your thyroid health is to your overall body health.
There are a number of thyroid issues that can cause health problems. We’re offering this link to a more thorough listing of possible thyroid problems. We will focus on the 2 most common thyroid problems here.
It’s important that you recognize the symptoms listed above. These symptoms can be very subtle; making it difficult to recognize that you could be experiencing thyroid problems.
January is “Thyroid Awareness Month”. In this article, we discuss the function of the thyroid gland and the various thyroid health concerns that can arise, especially for seniors. (Note: “Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month”, which has a focus specifically on one thyroid disorder, thyroid cancer, occurs in September.)Diagnosing thyroid disease in seniors can be difficult because some of the symptoms are also associated with aging or other medical conditions. It might be natural to assume that memory issues, constipation or weight gain are part of the aging process. However, these can also be signs of thyroid disease. Today, some 30 million Americans are affected by thyroid disease. If you think you or a loved one may have a thyroid condition, you should learn about diagnosis, symptoms and treatments.
The thyroid gland is a small organ, which is shaped almost like a butterfly and produces important hormones. The gland is just 2 inches in size and is situated below your Adam's apple and a little above your collarbones. It is responsible for running and maintaining a number of critical processes for a healthy body.The gland is part of the endocrine system, which directly affects almost every single organ. It is responsible for regulating skin integrity, menstrual cycles, calcium levels, and the nervous system, heart and cholesterol levels. In addition, it controls brain development, your body temperature, respiration, metabolism and fat production. Thyroid problems begin to occur when the thyroid gland produces too much hormone or not enough.
January has been dedicated as Thyroid Awareness Month to help draw attention to this serious disease. Most of us have heard about thyroid glands, but we may not realize the importance of the gland or that we may have symptoms of this disease. Health experts hope that publicizing information about thyroid diseases will educate people and encourage them to visit their physician for a simple blood test to determine if they need treatment.
If you think you might be one of the 15 million Americans that have an undiagnosed thyroid condition, you might want to check your neck for lumps, which could be an indication of a thyroid condition.
Hold a hand mirror towards your neck just above your collarbones where you can see the area below your Adam's apple.
To confirm whether there is a thyroid concern, your physician may perform a thyroid-stimulating hormone test. This blood test measures whether the gland is working properly. It is highly recommended to get tested if you are a senior over 60, have family members diagnosed with the disease or believe you have symptoms.
There are several causes, but some common causes can be attributed to autoimmune disease, certain types of medications, thyroid surgery or radiation therapy. Anyone can develop thyroid problems, but women who are 60 years of age or older seem to be more susceptible.
Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid produces excessive amounts of hormones. The symptoms of hyperthyroidism may include increased anxiety or nervousness and emotional instability. You may experience unusual weight loss, a rapid heart rate, high blood pressure and diarrhea or irregular menstrual cycles if you're still menstruating. Depending upon your situation, your doctor may prescribe treatments using anti-thyroid medications, surgery or radioactive iodine therapy.
Hypothyroidism results when the thyroid does not produce enough hormones. Most of the symptoms resulting from hypothyroidism are the opposite of hyperthyroidism. People with hypo thyroid disease may experience depression, body hair loss, changes in the voice, constipation and muscle aches. They may also notice a slower heart rate, irregular menstrual cycles and weight gain. Hypo conditions are normally treated using a synthetic thyroid hormone called levothyroxine, which comes in a pill form and is swallowed.
Thyroid cancer is one of the rarer forms of cancer in the US. In an average year, as many as 45,000 people may be diagnosed with this type of cancer, but most cases are easily treated or cured by surgery.
Although it is true that thyroid cancer is often able to be successfully treated with surgery (typically thyroidectomy), thyroid cancer survivors often report that they resent it when others may make light of the post-surgical issues faced by survivors, including lifelong dependency upon medication and recurring medical exams and ultrasound imaging to check for recurrence. Many survivors also report experiencing lingering anxiety and stress from their awareness that although rare, recurrence is possible for the rest of their lives. Furthermore, many survivors also face long-term problems with muscle cramps related to damage that can occur to their parathyroid glands during thyroidectomies.
Caregivers should carefully monitor and discuss thyroid symptoms and aging complaints with seniors or elderly people in their charge. Professional caregivers provided by in-home care companies are usually trained about the need to take care these concerns. If your senior loved one lives in an assisted living facility, the caregivers in that facility need to be trained on the importance of these matters.
Thyroid prescriptions can usually get symptoms under control. However, it's important that family members and caregivers keep abreast of new symptoms that may warrant a trip to the doctor. Senior Living Experts wants to help you enjoy the best years of your life as you age. Taking control of aging healthy is much easier when you have the knowledge you need. That’s why we take pride in not only helping you find the right place to age but the right information to guide you on aging successfully. Remember that your thyroid health is a very important part of your overall health.
Sources:https://www.thyroidawareness.com/https://www.agingcare.com/Articles/things-to-know-about-thyroid-176292.htmhttps://www.healthinaging.org/aging-and-health-a-to-z/topic:thyroid-problems/info:care-and-treatment/https://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-cancer/
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