Unmasking your thyroid: Thyroid Awareness

Do you know anything about thyroid disorders? Are you aware of its signs and symptoms?

Last September 21, 2016, Merck Inc. held an event at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Makati City. Creating awareness on what thyroid is, the different kinds of disorder, what are the symptoms to be able to know if you have this and how thyroid disorder can be avoided and treated. It's my pleasure to be invited because I really want to know more about this and first hand information is a very good source of information. 

I have learned that millions of Filipinos are affected by problems with their thyroid, yet awareness of this disease is very low. The symptoms of thyroid disorders are often mistaken for other diseases, or worse, are ignored by patients with the disease.

Did you know that according to a study by the Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism in 2012, one in 11 Filipino adults has goiter, and around one in 12 Filipino adults suffers from some form of thyroid disorders? 

Now, allow me to share to you some of my learnings on this event...

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Dr. Nemencio Nicodemus, Jr., the President of the Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. He is also a Professor in the UP College of Medicine and the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health. He gave a very informative talk on what the thyroid is all about. The symptoms of thyroid disease, how to personally check if one has a thyroid disorder. He discussed about the different kinds of thyroid disease and how this can be treated. In the end, questions and answer is initiated to make the discussion more interesting and interactive.

Thyroid glands releases hormones that controls our metabolism, the way that our body uses energy. The thyroid also regulates the vital body functions such as breathing,menstrual cycles, heart rate, body weight, body temperature and more.

The normal thyroid gland should be as follows:
Weight: 15 - 25 grams
Lenght: 4 - 6 cm (each lobe)
Thickness: 1.3 - 1.8 cm
Ishtmus: <4 - 5 mm

How much Iodine do we need daily?
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Based on Dr. Nicodemus, we need 2 medium pcs. of crab; 1/2 cup of shelled kuhol; 1/2 cup of shelled hipon; 2 1/4 pcs. of pusit. But since we have now the iodized salt, it can substitute to  those items mentioned earlier.

Classification of Goiters:

Below picture shows the some of the classificationof Goiters.  Patients with hypothyroidism, or too little thyroid hormone, tend to have slower metabolism: they gain weight despite not eating much, move and speak slowly, feel tired and have depressed thoughts, cannot tolerate cold, and have irregular menstrual periods. On the other hand, patients with hyperthyroidism, or too much thyroid hormone, will have hyperactive metabolism: they lose weight despite having good appetite, have heart palpitations, irritable thoughts and insomnia, have sweating and heat intolerance, and can have tremors in their hands.

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​There are a lot of people who may have thyroid disorders, but aren’t even aware until it is too late. It is important to have one’s thyroid checked as early as possible, especially if there is family history of the disease, or during pregnancy. Prevention, proper information and early detection will always be better than cure that comes too late. 

More information can be found online in the website www.thyroid.ph. This is an online repository of information where people can learn more about thyroid disorders. The website also contains useful guides which can help people check themselves for symptoms of thyroid disorders, such as goiter, hyperthyroidism, or hypothyroidism.

Merck is the world’s oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company with headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany. Merck is a leading science and technology company that works to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions.