The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that is located in our neck. This gland produces hormones like all the other glands throughout our body. The hormones it produces, helps control the vital functions of our body. It affects the functioning of every cell and activity in our body. Thyroid hormones control the metabolism in our body.
Mostly thyroid problems are associated with the unusual production of thyroid hormones.Thyroid disorder is a general lifestyle disease that affects almost every function of our body.
The condition in which the thyroid hormones become too high is known as hyperthyroidism, whereas the condition in which it becomes too low is known as hypothyroidism.
Thyroid problems can have plenty of effects that could be disturbing or undesirable for us, but fortunately, these effects can be minimized by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Who is more prone to thyroid disease?
Possibly any person can be affected by thyroid disease, but a person carries more risk to be affected by thyroid disease if he/she has
Family history of thyroid disease
Bad eating habits
Un-healthy lifestyle
Increased intake of iodine
Ages more than 60, specially in women
Common causes of thyroid problems
There are various factors that can cause thyroid problems. These factors include certain general lifestyle diseases and other diseases that have an impact on our overall health.
Lets know more about the risk factors of thyroid disease -
Graves’ condition : this is a condition in which the production of thyroid hormone becomes too high.
Thyroiditis : it is a condition in which the thyroid gland becomes swollen which may lead to abnormal production of thyroid hormone.
Iodine surplus or deficiency : the abnormal amount of iodine in our body can cause thyroid disease. The surplus and deficiency of iodine can cause hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism respectively.
Lack of vitamins and minerals : lack of the essential nutrients in our body can make us more prone to thyroid disease. As vitamins and minerals have a direct impact on the proper functioning of glands (including the thyroid gland) throughout our body.
Diabetes : diabetes, which is a general lifestyle disease increases the risk of developing a thyroid disorder. Type 1 diabetes is known to be an autoimmune disorder which can lead to the development of another disorder in our body.
Improper functioning of the thyroid gland : an unhealthy lifestyle can literally be responsible for the improper functioning of the thyroid gland which may lead to thyroid disease.
A person experiences a series of unpleasant symptoms when affected by thyroid disease. Various common symptoms of thyroid disease are listed below -
Sudden weight gain
Swollen face
Stress and depression
Weakness in muscles
Thinner hair
Dry skin
Hoarseness
Low heart rate
Constipation
Decreased sweating
Menstrual disorders in women
Low fertility in men
Memory loss
Ways to manage thyroid disorders by general lifestyle changes
Although thyroid disease can not be completely cured, it can be comfortably controlled with a combination of nutritional diet and proper medication. A few general lifestyle changes can help too.
Nutritional diet : taking a diet rich in all the essential nutrients for thyroid can help us in management of thyroid and therefore metabolism. Our diet must be filled with appropriate amounts of the nutrients, that is - nothing less, nothing more. Only the right amount of nutrients can help as thyroid is one of the causes of nutritional imbalance.
Yoga : yoga therapy does help a thyroid patient as it relaxes the specific parts of the body and promotes the better working of essential organs. Yoga helps in improving overall health.
Proper rest : proper rest and good sleep are the basic needs of our body. It helps our body to recover and improves our health, therefore getting plenty of rest is advised to thyroid patients to get better.
Gluten-free diet : gluten is found in almost every wheat flour product. It can cause harmful circumstances for a thyroid patient. Thus, it is recommended by registered dietitians to avoid foods that include gluten.
Meditation : meditation could be really helpful in thyroid management as it prevents us from the general lifestyle diseases. But meditation doesn’t work overnight, one must meditate consistently to get better results.
Regular exercise : exercises play a significant role in healthy lifestyle management. Exercising on a daily or alternative basis can actually help us to stay fit and free from general lifestyle diseases which affects the functioning of the thyroid gland.
Medications : Foods alone cannot treat thyroid entirely, but a combination of diet plan for lifestyle disease and medications can help in the treatment of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.
The overview
Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are the conditions in which the production of thyroid hormone becomes too high and too low respectively. This abnormal functioning of the thyroid gland is mainly caused by the effects of general lifestyle diseases. So adopting a healthy lifestyle is the best alternative for thyroid management as it keeps us immune to lifestyle diseases and indeed their effects.
But lifestyle management is not as simple as it seems therefore consulting a registered dietitian would be really helpful.
A dietitian can help us by providing the insights of dietetics and nutrition along with a diet plan for lifestyle diseases which in turn keeps us free from diseases like thyroid.