According to medical statistics, millions of people are affected by thyroid diseases. Unfortunately, most people doesn’t even know that they already have one. But the sadder fact is that most of these people are women.
That is the reason why the International Thyroid Awareness Week was created, to make people more informed about the importance of the tyhroid glands, how they can be taken cared of, the symptoms of thyroid diseases and treatments and more. This year, the culmination event in the Philippines happened last May 27 inside Robinsons Novaliches Trade Hall and it was a successful event which gathered hundreds of women, both single and married, from the community. To encourage more women to participate, there were beauty session treats given to the guests : nail art, hair & make-up, kinect, eyebrow threading and massage. Most importantly, there were free thyroid screening made available for the attendees.
“It’s not you. It‘s your thyroid” is the theme of this year’s Thyroid Awareness Week and Merck was one of the primary supporters of this event which was held for the 9th time already. The campaign is very important because Merck, which is one of the leading science and healthcare innovation company, knows that it can save millions of lives if we will give more importance to our thyroid glands.
Merck as the primary supporter of International Thyroid Awareness Week
Discussions about thyroid and thyroid diseases
International Thyroid Awareness Week at Robinsons Novaliches Trade Hall
Important Facts We Should All Know About Our Thyroid
What Is Thyroid ?
Our thyroid is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland that sits in at the lower front of the neck. It plays a key role in one’s overall health and well-being by producing thyroid hormones that help keep the body use energy, stay warm, and keep the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs in tip-top condition.
Thyroid Hormones
There are 3 types of thyroid hormones which are being produced by our thyroid glands : T3, T4, and calcitonin . Maintaining balance of these hormones is key to normal metabolism.
Metabolism
Metabolism is the term used for all the chemical reactions happening inside our body to keep us functioning. Because the thyroid hormones affect our metabolism, it means that our thyroid affects our over-all wellbeing.
Thyroid Disorders
Hyperthyroidism is a disorder where the thyroid produces too much thyroid hormones. Hypothyroidism is the opposite.
Goiter
When a person has iodine deficiency, our thyroid gland tries to compensate by enlarging. Sometimes the thyroid gland becomes too big that the person finds it difficult to swallow.
Pregnancy and Thyroid Diseases
Around 1 in 20 pregnant women will develop hypothyroidism during pregnancy. If untreated, this can lead to reduced IQ in the newborn, and increased risk of miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, and other harmful effects to the mother and baby. This is why Thyroid Screening is very important most specially for pregnant women.
Most Thyroid Disorders Can Be Treated
The treatment for these depends on the underlying cause. You may be given supplements or you may undergo surgery. Cases with malignancy are treated through the complete removal of the thyroid gland.
Foods Which Are Best For Our Thyroid
Our thyroid gland needs iodine to be able to function and produce thyroid hormones. However, as with all parts of our body, balance is still key for over-all wellness.
Reliable Information About Thyroid
We are all fortunate that there is a well of information about thyroid and being thyroid-aware is easy. What we just need is our sincere concern to our health, our family’s health and the health of our society.
How To Check Your Neck If You Have Goiter or Thyroid Nodules
I have friends who have hypo- and hyperthyroidism. True, a lot of those with thyroid illnesses are women. Thanks to Merck for having this one.
My sister has a thyroid condition, and she’s currently taking meds for it. Thankfully, she discovered this early on and we’re hoping that she gets pregnant with their first baby soon. 🙂
My auntie was diagnosed with Thyroid last year, and had to go through medications. It was very unfortunate because it caught her on a bad timing financially. Great to know this info for awareness!
I’m honestly not aware how important thyroid is in our body. Good thing we have these events in our country to keep the public informed. There’s a thyroid screening pala for pregnant women. Will take note of that. 🙂
I know someone who has a thyroid problem too, it took her years before she got pregnant.
I’ve attended this event and it is so informative. I am happy because a lot of people went there to have their thyroids checked.
I like it when companies make an effort to raise awareness on things such as this. It helps people to understand or learn something from the lecture.
I once suspect I had a goiter so I have it checked. Three of my relatives had it and had gone operation so I feared it can also happen to me. As explained, the difficulty of swallowing was due to irritants from environment pollution. Thank goodness!