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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