All About Thyroid Problems: Causes, Symptoms & Care

“The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland right near the larynx that produces hormones,” said Naresh Rao, a board-certified family medicine physician, partner at Sports Medicine at Chelsea and founder of Max Sports Health in New York City. The pituitary gland controls the thyroid gland, that is, it tells the thyroid what to produce more or less. The thyroid produces thyroxine (T4) and produce triiodothyronine (T3), which regulates almost all the basic functions of your body like temperature, metabolism, weight, etc. If there is an imbalance in your T3 and T4 levels, it means that you have a thyroid problem.

Thyroid problems can be genetic, hence if you have a family history of thyroid problems, then make sure to get tested regularly. Another major symptom of a thyroid problem is, when you are having confusing and weird symptoms and you cannot pinpoint the actual cause. “Fatigue, feeling cold or hot all the time, hair loss, sudden weight gain or loss, palpitations, diarrhoea, or issues with your menstrual cycle can all signal a thyroid issue,” said Sun Lee, an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, endocrinologist at Boston Medical Center, and member of the American Thyroid Association.

While there are a lot of things out there you can do to keep your thyroid gland healthy, eating healthy is one of them. Usually, anaemia and Vitamin D deficiency is linked to thyroid problems. Drinking a lot of water and exercising well are some things you can do to keep yourself healthy.