Understanding your thyroid

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Think of three things that can make or break your day. Your emotions, your appearance and your health are probably top of the list.

That's why it's important to be aware of a small gland at the base of your neck called the thyroid. Working properly, the thyroid can make you feel better, look better and keep you healthy. Here's what you should know about this vital gland:

Why does it matter?
Dr. Faye Goldman, a family physician in Ottawa, says the thyroid produces a hormone needed for metabolism. Since metabolism is the body's way of producing energy and building cells, thyroid function is essential to the entire body.

Left untreated, thyroid disorders can have serious, even deadly, outcomes. "It can affect the heart and the lungs," Goldman says. "In severe cases you can go into a coma from the lack of thyroid."

What goes wrong?
While there are many variations, the simple answer is your thyroid can under work -- called "hypothyroidism" , or over work -- known as "hyperthyroidism".

Goldman says the cause can be local, with the gland itself producing too much or too little thyroid hormone.

It's also possible to have a break down in the "feedback loop" connecting the thyroid and the brain. The pituitary, a hormone-producing gland in the brain, sends thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) to the thyroid to tell it how much or how little thyroid hormone to produce. "In rare cases the pituitary can produce too much TSH," says Goldman. "It gets out of that communication loop and the TSH keeps (over)stimulating the thyroid."

How can you tell?
Hyper and hypothyroidism have one thing in common -- both affect your metabolism. Beyond that the symptoms are completely opposite.

Hyperthyroidism
With an overactive thyroid, your metabolism shifts to overdrive. You may feel anxious, have a quick heart rate, and experience tremors in your hands. Bowel movements may be looser and increase in frequency. You may lose weight without changing your diet; sometimes to the point of ill-health.

Hypothyroidism
Your metabolism hits rock-bottom. You can feel exhausted; even depressed. Your heart rate may slow. Often hair and skin dry out and facial expressions become dull. You can experience constipation along with fluid retention, puffiness and swelling. While you may gain weight, don't blame your thyroid for twenty or thirty extra pounds. Rather it's that five or ten you just can't get rid of that's likely caused by hypothyroidism.

(Click here for more helpful information on thyroid health.)

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