If you’ve always wondered about thyroid conditions and how they can be diagnosed and treated, we’ve put together a brief overview on the condition, the causes and what you should be aware of.

As a basic overview, the thyroid gland has a significant effect on all of the metabolic processes throughout your body. Located low in the front of the neck, the butterfly-shaped gland is quite small yet if the gland is overactive or sluggish it can have a serious effect on metabolism and basic bodily functions.

Most commonly, individuals will experience an overactive or underactive thyroid, which means there is an abnormal production of thyroid hormones. However, some individuals can experience cancer in the thyroid area, so it’s essential to seek medical advice if you think you have a thyroid condition.

The thyroid is a pretty clever gland that works to regulate vital bodily functions such as heart rate, nervous systems, body weight, breathing issues, menstrual cycles, body temperature and cholesterol. The gland works to produce and release hormones into the blood that then work through to cells in the body.

With the thyroid it’s clear that it is all about balance within the body. The thyroid gland uses iodine from foods we consume to make two essential hormones triiodothyronine (commonly called T3) and thyroxine (called T4). These two hormones should ideally be balanced as high or low levels will put off the balance in the thyroid gland and cause health issues.

Ordinarily, most thyroid issues can be managed quite easily if properly diagnosed by a medical professional and conditions such as hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are easily managed using hormone treatment.

Hyperthyroidism (too much T3 and T4 in your body) can have the following symptoms – anxiety, moodiness, hyperactivity, sweating, hand shaking, hair loss or light menstrual periods.

Hypothyroidism (too little T3 and T4 in your body) can have the following symptoms – issues sleeping, fatigue, lack of concentration, dry skin, depression, cold temperature sensitivity and heavy periods.

If you think your thyroid gland is off balance or not working properly, it’s important to seek the support and guidance of a medical professional that can diagnose whether you have an overactive or underactive thyroid condition.

If you would like professional medical advice on a thyroid conditioning or to take charge of your health why not arrange one of our men’s or women’s health screening services today. To arrange a health screening get in touch with The Medical Concierge team to book an appointment +65 6679 7867 or email us at customercare@tmcg.com.sg to ask for more information.