What a perfect time of year to have "Thyroid Awareness Month" - the weather is usually cold, dreary and generally yuk outside, and a time when most people are just ready for spring to hurry up and get here. Is it just the weather making you feel unmotivated and crappy, or could it be your thyroid?
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Thyroid disorders affect millions of Americans. Are you
one of them? |
As a recent newcomer to the thyroid scene, I have talked to many, many people who have thryoid problems and are on medication. Some of those same people, I've noticed, are taking meds and yet have
no idea what their thyroid does or how important it is to their overall health. Others are merely vaguely aware of basically feeling like shit more often than not, but aren't really sure why. There's no time like the present to evaluate your overall health, take stock in how you feel and discovering that perhaps there is a reason for why you feel the way you do.
Hypothyroidism can affect both men and women, and can often be the root cause of many other underlying illnesses and problems in the body - from weight gain and general tiredness, to arthritis, high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, repeated miscarriages, infertility, low breast milk supply, among other things.
Some quick facts on thyroid diseases:
• Thyroid disease is the most common endocrine disorder.
• Eight out of ten (80 percent) diagnosed thyroid cases are hypothyroid; 20 percent are hyperthyroid.
• 27 million people in the US, and approximately 200 million worldwide, have a thyroid disorder.
• Of that 27 million, about half are considered undiagnosed.
• As of 2010,
sales of Synthroid, the most popular drug used to treat hypothyroidism, went up 18.1% to $123 million.
3 comments:
I had never heard that it was related to low breast milk supply. Thanks for that info... I actually had thought mine was borderline low after my last baby's birth but it tested within normal limits (WNL). Now, during this second pregnancy it's borderline high (actually it's as high as it can be without being high)... oddly enough I felt great during both pregnancies and very sluggish in between... wonder if I just need it to be close to that high to feel great? Thanks for getting information out there.
I will be posting more articles soon, including some info on that - stay tuned! :)
Thanks for posting this. I was diagnosed with hypothyroid after having my son. I had very low supply and ended up having to supplement, then weaning much earlier than I'd planned on because of it, but I never knew the two could be connected.
I also suffered from severe depression for years, and it has almost totally disappeared since I began taking thyroid medication. The odd thing is I'd read the posters in the doctors office listing symptoms years before, but never brought it up or got tested.
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