Is Your Thyroid Going Haywire?

Do you know what your thyroid does? Do you know where it is in your body? For many people, the location and purpose of this important little gland, which acts like the throttle for almost all of your body systems, is a mystery. Yet it can go haywire in as much as 9% of the population. And when it does, it can wreak havoc on most of your major internal systems, upsetting your digestive system, interfering with your cardiovascular system, and throwing off your metabolism. Thyroid hormones can affect the function of everything from your heart and lungs to your emotional well-being.

Your thyroid is an endocrine gland, and the hormones that it produces, thyroxine and triiodothyronine, often referred to collectively as thyroid hormone, help control the pace of all of your physiological body functions. When the thyroid produces too little hormone, things in your body can slow down too much. When it produces too much thyroid hormone, some of your body systems go into overdrive.

Either situation -- too much or too little thyroid hormone -- hurts your health.

Too Much = Hyperthyroid

When the thyroid produces too much thyroid hormone, it is overactive. The condition is called hyperthyroidism. With hyperthyroidism, all of your major body systems are in overdrive, which can result in a host of unpleasant symptoms, from anxiety to diarrhea. Untreated, an overactive thyroid can eventually lead to congestive heart failure and be fatal.

Too Little = Hypothyroid

When the thyroid produces too little thyroid hormone, it is underactive. The condition is called hypothyroidism. In this scenario, all of your major body systems function too slowly, resulting in symptoms ranging from weight gain to depression. Underactive thyroid, when left untreated in extreme cases, can eventually lead to coma and even death.