“It’s Not You, It’s Your Thyroid” : Merck steps up awareness campaign against thyroid diseases

Hello Sweeties!

A few years ago, I started feeling poorly, I had tremors, I was losing weight fast, I could’t sleep and I had a very short temper, to the point that I would have outburst in front or targeted to my children.  It was very scary. I have an aversion to hospitals perhaps because as a young child I was confined for days at a hospital where doctors made fun of the chatty 5 years old, that is a story for another day.  I finally found the courage to go to an EENT and he discovered that I had hyperthyroidism.  The first few days of not knowing what was going on with my body and personality was scary but I am glad I now know what is going on.

In time for the International Thyroid Awareness Week (ITAW) 2017, leading science and healthcare innovation company Merck, joined forces with the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Thyroid Association (PTA), Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism (PSEDM), and the Iodine Global Network (IGN), to raise consciousness against thyroid disorders.

You and your thyroid
The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland that sits in at the lower front of the neck. It plays a key role in one’s overall health and well-being by producing thyroid hormones that help keep the body use energy, stay warm, and keep the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs in tip-top condition.

Thyroid disorders are some of the most common diseases worldwide. In the Philippines, one in every 11 adults suffers from goiter or other thyroid disorders.

Thyroid problems are more common in women. Figures show that women are four to seven times more likely to have thyroid disorders than men. They are also at risk of hypothyroidism by 10 times. Moreover, women who recently gave birth and those who are in the menopausal stage are more vulnerable.

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The gift of healthy ‘crowning glory’ fit for the queen this Mother’s Day

CLICHE it may be, but there’s indeed a woman behind the person we are today. And that’s no less than her—our mother. We used to call her nanay, inay, ‘nay, mama, mommy or simply mom. Needless to say, she deserves more than that given the pivotal role she fulfills in rearing us from childhood to adulthood and possibly for the rest of our lives.

There may be opposing beliefs whether that greater maternal instinct is biologically predetermined or socially imposed, but everyone would agree that a mother is hardwired to love and care about the whole family, especially the children, all the time. For better or worse, it’s always the welfare of everyone at home on top of her priority.

No wonder she’s an epitome of a doting human being that touches everybody’s life. So, it’s but right to honor and return all the favors she has done for us. And what a better way to do this than this Mother’s Day.

 

Still drooling over the ways on how to spend this time of the year again with her? Well, you may opt for the basics of gift-giving from simple trinkets to expensive items. But take note, your appreciation of her is not equated by the tag price of your present. It’s the thought that counts, as an adage says.

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