Thyroid Gland: General Health

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

Thyroid Gland

The thyroid gland is a small gland found at the base of your neck, just below your Adam's apple.
The thyroid produces hormones that travel in your blood to all parts of your body.
The thyroid gland helps set the rate of metabolism, which is the rate at which the body uses energy (burns calories) and how fast your heart beats.

Hyperthyroidism - also called overactive thyroid
This is when the thyroid is too active and it makes more thyroid hormones than the body needs. High levels of thyroid hormones can cause side effects such as weight loss, rapid heart rate, and nervousness.
Hypothyroidism - also called underactive thyroid
This is when the thyroid is underactive and it doesn't make enough thyroid hormones that the body needs. Low levels of thyroid hormones can cause side effects such as weight gain even though you are not eating more food, increased sensitivity to cold, and fatigue.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

blackberry · **Site Rank:** Healthy Friend

I've had a professor who has they hypo type. She wears more than 2 layers of clothes because she easily gets cold. And also another sign of it the drooping eyelids like you're sleepy.

And a friend of mine who had hyperthyroidism and I think it's more dangerous than the hypo. Hand tremors are the most evident sign. Then she went on some therapy but became hypo. She said it's more okay to be hypo than the hyper type.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

blackberry wrote:

I've had a professor who has they hypo type. She wears more than 2 layers of clothes because she easily gets cold. And also another sign of it the drooping eyelids like you're sleepy.

And a friend of mine who had hyperthyroidism and I think it's more dangerous than the hypo. Hand tremors are the most evident sign. Then she went on some therapy but became hypo. She said it's more okay to be hypo than the hyper type.

Wow, you know people who have both types. I don't know anybody who has either, but I was wondering if I might have the hypo type because I am always cold... my hands sometimes look a little purplish when I am really cold! But then I don't have the other symptoms like unexplained weight gain and fatigue. So I still don't know my hands are always so cold.

blackberry · **Site Rank:** Healthy Friend

tammy wrote:

Wow, you know people who have both types. I don't know anybody who has either, but I was wondering if I might have the hypo type because I am always cold... my hands sometimes look a little purplish when I am really cold! But then I don't have the other symptoms like unexplained weight gain and fatigue. So I still don't know my hands are always so cold.

It could be that you just easily get cold. But it's always good to know the other signs of hypothyroidism to have your blood tested. My professor only was having a hunch before until she saw her two different ID pictures. Her latest picture revealed that her eyelids were drooping to add to all other symptoms and so she concluded that she was actually having thyroid problems.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

At my last physical exam, the doctor noticed that my hands were super cold, but she said since I was so healthy otherwise that we didn't need to do a thyroid test at that time. Maybe at my next physical I will get it tested just to be sure. I would like to rule that out once and for all.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

I'm curious... do you know if there is anything your professor now does to correct or help make her hypothyroidism better?

blackberry · **Site Rank:** Healthy Friend

She's on meds and do regular check ups and blood tests. It's the same with my friend with hyper. But my prof still continues to wear layers of clothes. I think thyroid problems are only manageable with medications especially if it's the hyper type because our thyroid deals with some of our hormones. But I also read that yoga or acupuncture are good considering alternative means.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

Thanks for the information. I figured the solution was medicines. It's too bad thyroid problems can't helped with lifestyle changes...

blackberry · **Site Rank:** Healthy Friend

Yeah it is and basically a lifetime to deal with. I remember my prof told that.

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