{"id":11856,"date":"2025-01-09T22:06:49","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T22:06:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/?p=11856"},"modified":"2025-01-09T22:06:49","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T22:06:49","slug":"thyroid-awareness-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/thyroid-awareness-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Thyroid Awareness Month"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GettyImages-1354038399.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11857 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GettyImages-1354038399-300x173.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"173\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GettyImages-1354038399-300x173.jpg 300w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GettyImages-1354038399-1024x589.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GettyImages-1354038399-768x442.jpg 768w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GettyImages-1354038399-1536x883.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GettyImages-1354038399-2048x1178.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GettyImages-1354038399-500x288.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>January is Thyroid Awareness Month.<\/p>\n<p>Thyroid disease is a medical condition that keeps your thyroid from making the right amount of hormones. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland at the front of the neck under your skin. As a part of the body\u2019s endocrine system, it controls many of your body\u2019s important functions by producing and releasing thyroid hormones and controlling the speed of your metabolism.<\/p>\n<p>There are two main types of thyroid disease, hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). They each have several conditions that can cause them.<\/p>\n<p>Conditions that can cause hypothyroidism include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hashimoto\u2019s disease \u2013 this is a lifelong autoimmune condition that can cause hypothyroidism. It is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in countries with widely available iodized salt and other iodine-enriched foods.<\/li>\n<li>Iodine deficiency \u2013 the thyroid needs iodine to make the thyroid hormone, so a lack of the mineral in your diet can lead to hypothyroidism. It is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in countries that don\u2019t have iodized salt widely available. It often causes goiters also known as an enlarged thyroid.<\/li>\n<li>Congenital hypothyroidism \u2013 sometimes, babies are born with a missing or underactive thyroid. \u201cCongenital\u201d means present from birth. About one in every 2,000 to 4,000 babies have congenital hypothyroidism.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Conditions that can cause hyperthyroidism include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Graves\u2019 disease \u2013 this is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes an overactive thyroid. It is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism.<\/li>\n<li>Thyroid nodules \u2013 these are abnormal lumps on your thyroid gland. If the nodules are hyper-functioning, they can lead to hyperthyroidism.<\/li>\n<li>Excessive iodine \u2013 when you have too much iodine in your body, your thyroid makes more thyroid hormones than you need. You may develop excessive iodine by taking certain medications.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Some conditions can cause both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism at different times, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Thyroiditis \u2013 which is the inflammation of the thyroid gland. It typically causes temporary hyperthyroidism at first and then temporary or chronic hypothyroidism.<\/li>\n<li>Postpartum thyroiditis \u2013 this is a relatively rare condition that affects some birthing parents after pregnancy. An estimated 5% of people may experience this after giving birth. It typically causes hyperthyroidism first, followed by hypothyroidism. It is usually temporary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There are a variety of thyroid disease symptoms. Unfortunately, symptoms of a thyroid condition are often similar to the signs of other medical conditions and stages of life, making it difficult to know if the symptoms are related to a thyroid issue or something else.<\/p>\n<p>Symptoms of hypothyroidism include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Slower-than-usual heart rate<\/li>\n<li>Fatigue<\/li>\n<li>Unexplained weight gain<\/li>\n<li>Feeling sensitive to the cold<\/li>\n<li>Dry skin and dry coarse hair<\/li>\n<li>Depression<\/li>\n<li>Heavy menstrual periods<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Faster-than-usual heart rate<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty sleeping<\/li>\n<li>Unexplained weight loss<\/li>\n<li>Feeling sensitive to the heat<\/li>\n<li>Clammy or sweaty skin<\/li>\n<li>Feeling anxious, irritable, or nervous<\/li>\n<li>Irregular menstrual cycles or lack of periods<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Many factors can put you at a higher risk of developing a thyroid condition, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Being assigned female at birth (AFAB). People AFAB are five to eight times more likely to have a thyroid condition than people assigned male at birth (AMAB)<\/li>\n<li>Have a family history of thyroid disease<\/li>\n<li>Have Turner syndrome<\/li>\n<li>Take a medication that is high in iodine<\/li>\n<li>Live in a country or area that doesn\u2019t have iodized table salt, which can lead to iodine deficiency<\/li>\n<li>Are older than 60 years of age, especially if you are AFAB<\/li>\n<li>Have received radiation therapy to your head and\/or neck<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Having an autoimmune disease also increases your risk, especially if you have:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pernicious anemia<\/li>\n<li>Type 1 diabetes<\/li>\n<li>Celiac disease<\/li>\n<li>Addison\u2019s disease<\/li>\n<li>Lupus<\/li>\n<li>Rheumatoid arthritis<\/li>\n<li>Sj\u00f6gren\u2019s syndrome<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Thyroid disease can be diagnosed using blood and imaging tests after a healthcare provider performs a physical exam.<\/p>\n<p>Treatment for thyroid disease depends on the type of condition and the cause. The goal is to return your thyroid hormone levels to a healthy range. Hyperthyroidism is treated with antithyroid drugs, radioiodine therapy, beta-blockers, and surgery. Hypothyroidism is treated with thyroid replacement therapy.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re experiencing symptoms of any thyroid disease, you can call and make an appointment with Jamaica Hospital Medical Center\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/endocrinology\/\">endocrinology service<\/a>, at 718-206-7001.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page.   You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter.<strong>  PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.<\/strong> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>January is Thyroid Awareness Month. Thyroid disease is a medical condition that keeps your thyroid from making the right amount of hormones. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland at the front of the neck under your skin. As a &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/thyroid-awareness-month\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[190,5,1,61,14,4],"tags":[330,329,328,1639],"class_list":["post-11856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autoimmune-disease","category-general-health","category-health","category-lifestyle","category-mens-health","category-womens-health","tag-hyperthyroidism","tag-hypothyroidism","tag-thyroid-awareness-month","tag-thyroid-disorders"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11856"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11858,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11856\/revisions\/11858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}