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January is Thyroid Awareness Month.
Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck. But don’t let the delicate description fool you. Your thyroid has a huge impact on your physical and mental health.
The thyroid produces hormones which help control metabolism (the process of turning food into energy) and other bodily functions. Too much or too little thyroid hormone can affect your weight, your period — even your brain.
About 1 in 8 women and people assigned female at birth in the U.S. will have a thyroid problem at some point in their lives. And thyroid disease is common — about 20 million people in the U.S. have some form of thyroid disease. But as many as 6 out of 10 people don’t know they have it.
HGTV’s Jenn Todryk Gets Candid About Managing Hashimoto’s Disease >>
Take our quiz to learn more about your thyroid and symptoms of thyroid disease.
1. True or False: Your thyroid gland is located in your upper neck.
Correct
Incorrect
false. Your thyroid gland is located in the middle of your lower neck. A healthy thyroid is about 2 inches long and you can’t see or feel it. Any swelling or lumps in the area could be a sign of thyroid disease.
2. True or False: There are two main types of thyroid disease.
Correct
Incorrect
true. The two main types of thyroid disease are hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Hyperthyroidism, an overactive thyroid, means you make too much thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid doesn’t make enough. Treatment for both conditions usually includes medications to either stop making hormones or add thyroid hormone back into the body.
3. True or False: Weight loss is an early warning sign of thyroid disease.
Correct
Incorrect
true. Weight loss is a common sign of hyperthyroidism. This can be serious because the overproduction of thyroid hormone is bad for your heart. Without treatment, hyperthyroidism can cause abnormal heart rhythms and even heart failure.
4. True or False: Your thyroid can affect your period.
Correct
Incorrect
true. Your thyroid can affect your flow and cause irregular periods if your levels are not in check. If you don't have enough thyroid hormone you can have heavier periods. Too much thyroid hormone can cause lighter periods. You can also stop having your period for months (this is called amenorrhea).
5. True or False: Thyroid disease can cause problems during pregnancy.
Correct
Incorrect
true. Uncontrolled thyroid disease can cause preterm birth (giving birth before 39 to 40 weeks), low birth weight and problems with the baby’s brain growth and development.
6. True or False: You’re more likely to develop thyroid disease after menopause.
Correct
Incorrect
true. The risk for thyroid disease goes up after menopause. You may also be at risk for developing a thyroid condition if you have an autoimmune disease, a family history of thyroid disease, take medication high in iodine and are over age 60.
7. True or False: Thyroid conditions can cause early menopause.
Correct
Incorrect
true. Thyroid conditions may cause early menopause (before age 40 or early 40s) according to research from Johns Hopkins Medicine. The good news: Treating an overactive thyroid may prevent early menopause from happening and ease symptoms of early menopause.
8. True or False: A thyroid scan is the only way to diagnose thyroid disease.
Correct
Incorrect
false. Imaging tests like a thyroid scan can check the size and shape of your thyroid and scan for growths. But thyroid blood tests are the most common way to diagnose thyroid disease.
9. True or False: You can’t live without a thyroid.
Correct
Incorrect
false. Even though your thyroid is important, you can live without it. People without thyroids will need to take hormone replacement medication for life.
10. True or False: Women are more likely to have thyroid problems compared to men.
Correct
Incorrect
true. Women are up to eight times more likely to have thyroid diseases compared to men.
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