The thyroid gland is not well-known to many people as it’s not talked about as much, but it’s still one of the most vital organs in the human body; it is a butterfly-shaped organ located in the
neck and produces hormones which enter the bloodstream, which helps control the body’s
metabolism, and ensures that the body is developing properly. When the immune system
detects the thyroid gland as a foreign invader, it produces antibodies to attack the object- only
this time, it’s not a foreign object but an organ. This phenomenon is known as an autoimmune
disease, where the immune system mistakenly attacks its own body. There are many types of autoimmune diseases such as alopecia (which affects the hair), lupus (affects muscles and tissue), and celiac disease (immune response to gluten).
Types of Thyroid Diseases
There are two main types of thyroid disorders: Thyrotoxicosis (hyperthyroid) and Hashimoto’s disease (hypothyroid). The first one, hyperthyroid, is where the thyroid gland is overactive therefore producing too many hormones. Some common symptoms with this disease include anxiety, shaking, irregular heartbeat, excessive weight loss, and increased metabolism. People with hyperthyroidism might get nervous easily and experience a lot of trembling. Physically, the person might have more brittle hair and become more sweaty, which may impact their self-esteem.
Hypothyroid is when the thyroid gland is underactive, resulting in the body not receiving enough
hormonal signals which can delay growth. People who have hypothyroidism will most likely
experience fatigue, weight gain/inability to lose weight, depression, loss of hair, and heavy menstrual cycles. A lot of people experience depression and become extremely tired throughout the day while also not being able to sleep at night. Not producing enough hormones also means that their metabolism will decrease, which significantly impacts their weight. This disease is usually detected in older women, but can also be diagnosed in children and adolescents so they begin treatment sooner.
Treatment
Treatments for these diseases consist of either a suppression of hormonal production or a replacement for the hormones not created. People with hyperthyroid take prescription medications like methimazole or propylthiouracil which are designed to stop the thyroid from making more hormones. The most common medication for people with hypothyroidism is Levothyroxine, which adds more hormones to the bloodstream. To diagnose either of these diseases, the person will go through blood tests to check thyroid levels in the blood, or do a series of screenings to observe the size and shape of the thyroid. If a person has been detected with either disease, they will see a hormone specialist called an endocrinologist. Most people who have hyperthyroidism are advised to not consume much iodine (iodized salt and many seafoods have this) while people with hypothyroidism should have more iodine in their diet. This is also why people with iodine deficiency have enlarged necks-it’s the thyroid gland.
My Experience
When I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I was almost ten years old and had just come back from a trip to India. When my family and I arrived back home, I was advised to take blood tests just in case some diseases get detected after our trip; but to our surprise, a different issue arose when the blood tests showed signs of insufficient hormones in the bloodstream. I was immediately put on medication even though the doctor wasn’t completely sure that the blood tests meant hypothyroidism. Later I had to visit an endocrinologist at a children’s hospital, who confirmed that I had Hashimoto’s Disease. Although the disease isn’t so significant in my life to the point where it’s noticeable, there were little changes in my body and mental health which highly impacted my daily life. My weight started to notably increase and I felt tired every day despite getting more hours of sleep than what was necessary. When I noticed that my hair was thinning more and I was staying in a depressive state, my doctor had to increase the dose of the medication I take. A few months ago, I had to get ultrasounds done for my thyroid because the doctor suspected that I had high calcium levels due to a lump in my throat, though those tests came back negative. Even though this disease caused some complications in my life and
sometimes affected my performance during school or social events, I am fortunate to receive treatment and care for the disease with medicine and frequent doctor’s visits. However, I want to spread awareness of this disease, especially since it is uncommon for adolescents to get this disease, and scientists are yet to figure out a permanent cure that will help eliminate this disease from people who have it. I also hope that this story can help others who deal with this disease feel less alone and more open to talk about it.
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