Know Little Bit
About The Nature's Factories Inside You

There are many wonders of nature but nothing is more wondrous than the wonderful body of MAN.

Mother Nature has put many chemical factories inside our body. They produce powerful chemical substances called hormones. The names of some of these factories are

Adrenal  Glands
This  is our factory that produces  cortisone and  hydrocortisone, two  of the body's  most important  hormones. Adrenal glands are small triangular-shaped glands  lying just above the kidneys  on each side of the abdomen. The outer surface of each of the two glands  is known as the adrenal cortex. This is  where  these vitally important hormones, the corticosteroids, are produced. The adrenal glands also produce small amounts of both male and female hormones. 

Other hormones produced by the adrenal cortex regulate certain  minerals in the blood stream, particularly sodium, potassium, and chloride. Still other hormones from these very small glands raise  or lower  the  level  of glucose  in the blood  stream  and also have direct effects  upon the protein and fat metabolism of the body. The  chief  mineral-regulating hormone  is  aldsosterone, which is truly a life-saving hormone, for without it the sodium  and chloride concentrations in the body would be greatly reduced, resulting in shock and sudden death. An increased production of this hormone promotes alkalosis,  while a decreased secretion leads to acidosis. Aldosterone also has a marked effect on the blood pressure.

Cut away of the adrenal gland much enlarged to show details. The lighter reddish-yellow layer is the cortex where cortisone and hydrocortisone are produced. The dark inner section is the medulla, where adrenalin and noradrenalin are produced.

Pancreas
The pancreas is a large digestive organ lying behind the stomach and across the back portion of the abdomen. Most parts of this large gland are busy with the normal processes of digestion through the pancreatic enzymes.  But one small portion known as the “tail’ of pancreas has an entirely different function, for it belongs to the endocrine glandular system–the system that produces various hormones in our body.  It produces two hormones, INSULIN and GLUCAGON. Insulin is the powerful hormone that aids the body in storing nutrients instead of allowing it to drain away in the urine. The lack /absence of insulin in the body give us the affliction called diabetes.

Pituitary gland
Located right in the middle of the head behind the eyes and above the nose, is tiny organ no larger than a good-sized pea. In some respect, this is the most important endocrine gland in our body. It takes order in part from the central nervous system. It produces many different hormones. Most of them direct the activities of other endocrine glands of our body. Small though it is, pituitary gland is divided in two parts–the front and back. Hormones from the front portion of the pituitary gland control the adrenal glands, thyroid gland, the growth hormones, and the hormones that control the female menstrual cycle and regulate the sex hormones of both sexes. The back part of the pituitary gland puts out another form of hormones that determine the amount of water filtered and absorbed by the kidneys, and hormones that affect the uterus and milk glands of the female breast.  

Collectively, all the ductless glands producing hormones constitute our ENDOCRINE  SYSTEM. Their proper functioning means that they produce the right quantity of hormones–neither less nor more. In case due to some reason they under or overproduce the required chemicals, we are sick.  In this write up, an attempt has been made to show you the consequences if your THYROID GLAND is not functioning well.

Thyroid Gland 
If you place your fingers on the front of your neck just below the larynx or “Adam apple” you may feel a small mass of butterfly-shaped tissues on each side of your windpipe. This is the Thyroid Gland. A normal thyroid gland weighs 15-25 gms.

What Does It Do?
The Thyroid gland makes the thyroid hormones– the chemicals that carry messages from the thyroid to the rest of the body through blood stream. The Thyroid hormone controls the rate at which our body cells burn food and thus the rate at which they produce energy. It affects growth and development of our mind; it regulates our body temperature; keeps hair and nails healthy; muscles and nerves in good condition and besides many other functions regulate the rate at which virtually every part of our body works. The Thyroid is the only organ which secretes these two hormones with the help of iodine. It has to produce and release the right amount of hormones to enable the body to keep balance in these functions.

What Is 
Hypothyroidism?

When our Thyroid Gland produces hormone (mainly Thyroxin) below its normal level, the condition is called Hypothyroidism.  Some of the factors responsible for the under production of Thyroxin include:

	Iodine deficiency, which is an essential ingredient/element for the production of thyroid hormones.
	Autoimmune disorder (autoimmune thyroiditis)–a condition in which the immune- system produced antibodies (the body’s protective disease-fighting proteins) attack the thyroid tissues and destroy the gland.
	The treatment of over-active (hyper) thyroid gland with radioactive iodine or surgical removal of thyroid gland itself.
	Radiation therapy to head or neck
	Congenital disorder
	Diseases of the pituitary gland, which normally stimulate the thyroid gland

The commonest cause of hypothyroidism 
in iodine-sufficient cases is autoimmune thyroiditis 
and in iodine-deficient cases, the iodine deficiency itself.

The symptoms
A person suffering with Hypothyroidism tends to:

Be slow in his movements. Feels more cold than others May have marked dryness of the skin Suffer constipation  Put on weight  Hair becomes dry, thin, and coarse  Skin appears dry, scaly and thickened  There may be facial puffiness, specially around eyes  The tongue becomes usually large  The pulse is slow but regular  There is often vague pains in the back and stiffness in the joints.  Voice turn hoarse  Depression  Mental and growth retardation in children  Inability to conceive leading to infertility in women.

Hypothyroidism is seen in both sexes, but it is far more common in women. Most of these are overweight and may complain of a heavy flow during menstruation. The heart is often enlarged and there is high level of cholesterol in the blood stream.

The Tests

Hypothyroidism can be diagnosed by blood tests measuring the level of thyroid hormones (T₃ and T₄) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).  Radioactive iodine uptake may also be carried out in selected cases. A small amount of radio-active iodine is given and after  a few hours, a machine similar to an X-ray  machine is used to measure the level of radio-active iodine in the patient’s blood. These tests help in determining what type of thyroid problem one has.

Managing 
An Under-active Thyroid Gland
Supplementation with a synthetic thyroid hormone called levothyroxine usually restores adequate thyroid hormone level and gets the body back in gear. Its dose may need to be adjusted a few times before the best level is found. To maintain the thyroid hormone at the right level, one will probably need to take thyroid hormone pills for the rest of his/her life.  Fortunately, these pills are easily accepted by the body and generally have no side-effect.

Historically, hypothyroidism is the first endocrine disorder to be treated by supplementing the deficient hormone. Earlier, it was treated with animal thyroid extracts, then by  purified thyroid hormone preparations, and presently by synthetic preparations.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism, also known as Grave’s disease or Thyrotoxicosis is a serious condition of body, arising from too much activity in the thyroid gland. The excess amount of thyroid hormone produced by the overactive gland raises the metabolic rate of the body. The real cause of Hyperthyroidism is not known, but it does seem to run in families and is most likely to develop during some emotional or physical stress. 

Its Symptoms
By and large, the symptoms of Hyperthyroidism are opposite to the symptoms of Hypothyroidism. A patient with this disease usually

	Feels nervous and weak
	Sensitive to heat
	Overactive
	Underweight inspite of an increased appetite
	Has frequent bowel movements
	Feels fine tremor in the fingers
	Complains of palpitation of heart
	Has bulging eyes
	Has an overactive and usually enlarged heart
	Has a rapid and irregular pulse rate

Thyroid Storm
Any infection or unusual stress, such as a surgical operation, may bring a Thyroid Storm in a hyperthyroidism patient. When this occurs all the symptoms of hyperthyroidism are greatly increased and the heart is very rapid. The patient need  immediate hospitalization.

Parathyroid
Just behind the thyroid gland on each side of the neck, there are several tiny pin-sized organs known as Parathyroid . They control the rate at which calcium and phosphate are used by the body. They also strongly influence the function of vitamin D and the formation of bones and teeth. Vitamin D affects the delicate lining of the small bowel (mucosa), increasing its ability to absorb calcium.

If It
Malfunctions
The calcium supply to the body drops. Once the calcium supply drops, the muscles go into spasm. To prevent this, the body draws the calcium supply from the bones, making them weak. This decalcification or loss of calcium from bones increases the calcium level in the blood and may then produce kidney stones .

It’s Symptoms :
A person suffering from hyperparathyroidism has :

Pains in the bones Complains of muscle weakness Lack of appetite Nausea Constipation Frequent urge to drink water and also to urinate Thinning of Bones Unexplained fractures Stooped body posture

Consult your doctor,
if after reading this article,
you feel that there may be
something wrong with your Thyroid Gland