Hypothyroidism Essay

Hypothyroidism Impact on Public Health

The thyroid organ, though small, impacts every cell in the body by providing metabolism regulation (endocrine web). This butterfly-shaped, endocrine organ located at the neck, secretes hormones to control the body’s metabolism - or the way the body uses energy that help the body with energy, manage heat, and help organs such as the heart and brain function properly (thyroid.org). When not functioning properly, thyroid dysfunctions occur disrupting the three points of control: the hypothalamus in the brain, the pituitary gland, and the thyroid gland. Common thyroid disorders include Hashimoto’s, Graves’ disease, thyroid disorders like hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, and nodules or goiters (health line).

The focus of this paper will be hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism

T). When thyroid genes are acting as they are designed, they ramp up the mitochondria to work at optimal capacity. However, mitochondria the power plants of the cell, are unable to work in converting fat and oxygen into chemical energy, homeostasis is disrupted.

Because the body, namely the “brain, heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and skeletal muscle, demand a finely tuned capacity for energy and lots of it, these tissues possess more mitochondria” (parkridge). When the mitochondria are not properly functioning for these organs, cell damage can occur.

One needs to recognize the combination of physical signs (thinning hair, thick tongue, excess weight, etc.) and common symptoms (fatigue, difficulty concentrating, cold intolerance, etc.).

Additional Hashimoto’s