Amongst the various medical problems on a rise, thyroid conditions are amongst the top. Thyroid problems are becoming more common in the present society with every passing day. Major causes of the problem are improper nutrition and auto immune disorders. To understand the effects of thyroid malfunctioning, it's important to understand what exactly the gland does in the body.

Thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland located directly below the Adam's apple. This gland can swell up accompanied by an inflammatory response, when not working properly. This can be seen as a small bulge in the area. Doctors might feel the size of the gland by keeping hand around your neck and making you swallow.

Thyroid is known as the gas pedal for the body's metabolism as every cell in the body has receptor sites for thyroid hormones. T3 and T4 are the hormones that the thyroid gland produces. The gland produces 93% T4 and 7% T3 even though the cells can only use T3. The liver must convert 60% of the t4 into T3 and cells convert another 20% into T3. Among various other things these hormones control the body's metabolism and energy levels. While lack of these hormones make the body sluggish and slow an excess of these make the person hyper active sending the body into overdrive.

Thyroid has to be taken care of properly as it affects the entire body; hence, a thyroid disorder is considered a chronic disease. Damage to thyroid may affect brain function in terms of memory loss and moodiness, reproductive health, heart, body weight, etc.

Thyroid malfunctioning can leads to heart problems and a number of other problems as well. Often a part of auto immune problems, thyroid can malfunction simultaneously with other problems like cholesterol and blood pressure irregularities. The body may experience arthritis type pain which diminishes as soon as the hormone levels are back to normal.

Thyroid problems can affect any person at any age. According to the American Thyroid Association, half of the people with thyroid problems don't even know about it! It often goes unnoticed as the symptoms are mistaken as that of something else. For example, fatigue is a major symptom, but is generally overlooked as a feeling caused by lack of sleep, stress, or bad diet.

However certain groups of people are more susceptible to the disease than others. For example, women are eight times more likely than men to face the disorder. You are also more prone to the disease if you have a family history of the hypothyroidism or other auto-immune diseases. In such a case, a regular checkup of the thyroid gland is highly recommended.

People with a high exposure to radiation also have higher chances of a thyroid disorder because the thyroid gland is sensitive to any radiation. Similarly elderly people also run a higher risk of disorder.

Dealing with hypothyroidism or any thyroid disorder can be difficult and a heavy burden to carry. Symptoms can be painful and tend to cause depression and discouragement. However, advancements in treatments for thyroid disorders can help diminish the symptoms and allow you to live a normal productive life. Medications can work if the cause of the thyroid condition is Primary Hypo-thyroid. There are six areas in the thyroid cascade where malfunction can occur and finding the correct malfunction is the only way to correct the person. The first step is to properly test all areas for proper function. Once the malfunction is located the proper specific treatment can follow.

First step is getting the right treatment. Contacting the right doctor and taking the full course of treatment. Being proactive is also very important and if medications don't prove effective, tell your doctor immediately. Another important thing is eating healthy. Sugar rich and processed foods should be avoided. It's rarely prescribed by doctors, but is in fact an excellent antidote, for many ailments.

For more information or for an evaluation of your circumstance contact Colorado's Chronic Conditions Specialist, Dr. Christopher Steiner. Visit him online at http://www.ChronicConditionsCO.com or call him at (303) 660-2668.