Thyroid Diseasesʼ Causes and Risks

The thyroid gland, shaped like a butterfly is located in the neck behind and below the Adamʼs apple. This gland is labelled as the “master” gland because of the many functions it has in the body. The thyroid gland produces two hormones T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine).

Together these two hormones control:

• your metabolic rate - the way your body burns the food ingested
• your weight-sometimes with thyroid problems you cannot gain weight or you have
• problems losing weight no matter what you do
• your sleep-you may have problems falling asleep, have restless sleeps
• your energy level
• your body temperate-thyroid problems can present both spectrums, not being able
• to warm up or too hot
• the ability to relax
• regulates blood cholesterol levels
• your demeanor-problems with the thyroid can present itself as depression or mood
• swings
• the cardia output, blood pressure and oxygen delivery to the tissues
• Some of the causes of thyroid disease:
• radiation treatment that was used to treat acne, on the tonsils, adenoids, lymph
• nodes and on thymus gland problems
• radiation exposure such as the nuclear accident in Chernobyl and the fallout from
• atomic weapons testing done during the 50ʼs and 60ʼs
• a non-functioning gland will affect one in 4,000 newborns causing physical and
• mental retardation.
• eating excessive isoflavones that are found in popular soy products and
• supplements
• eating excessive amounts of uncooked “goitrogenic foods” such as broccoli,
• cauliflower, millet, cabbage and kale
• drugs such as lithium and cordarone may be a cause of hypothyroidism
• having received a “nasal radium therapy” that was used for treatment of
• tonsillitis,colds and on military submariner and/or pilot who had trouble with drastic
• changes in pressure
• lack of iodine in diet occurring in countries where iodine is not included in the diet

The risks of developing thyroid disease:

• hereditary conditions such as the immune system disease Hashimotoʼs thyroiditis,
• goiter and certain precancerous polyps in the colon
• suffering with a pituitary, endocrine or autoimmune disease
• suffering with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia
• being a white female
• just giving birth may present a usually temporary condition, Postpartum Thyroiditis,
• occurring in 5 to 9 percent of women after delivery
• being a smoker
• being over the age of 60
• Thyroid Diseasesʼ Causes and Risks
• being menopausal or near menopause
• having been exposed to radiation and certain chemicals such as fluoride and
• perchlorate

It is very important to know our bodies. In my opinion it is just as important to do a
routine “self thyroid neck check” as it is to do a “self breast examination”. Thyroid
cancer, a cancer that affects woman 3:1 to men, if diagnosed in an early stage is usually
curable, with a very good prognosis. You will sometimes hear “If you are to get cancer,
let it be thyroid cancer”. As a thyroid cancer survivor, I want to say “Cancer is a real
cancer!!”. As with any other cancer there is the worry, the surgeries, and the
treatments to go through.

There is no exact causes for thyroid cancer and doctors cannot explain why one person
gets the disease and another does not.

Elaine Savard, is a thyroid cancer survivor since 1997. I had a total thyroidectomy and many lymph nodes removed. In 2000 I had a radical neck dissection to remove more suspicious lymph nodes. I had 5 radioactive iodine treatments. As I stated above it is very important to do neck checks. My cyst, that had no cancer cells in it, was found at an annual physical examination by an intern practicing everything she had learned. I had no idea that the cyst was there.

About a year ago I decided to put my negative experience into a very positive one by
developing my website.

You will find more of my story on my website www.papillarythyroidcancerguide.com and
much more about the thyroid gland and thyroid cancer.