Just Living Everyday

Just Lving Everyday

Our body is made up of many different systems. We use all these systems everyday to live normally and effortlessly. Our hearts beat, our eyes blink, our lungs breath, our muscles move, all with very little thought. But there is one small organ that plays a huge role in our everyday life that is often over looked: the thyroid. This miraculous organ plays a large role in our normal cycle of life, yet it goes unnoticed. Almost six years ago, I got a loud wake-up call to how important the thyroid is when mine stopped working normally. I had been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder called “hypothyroidism”.

Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid does not produce enough hormones. The thyroid is a relatively small organ located near the base of the neck. It is mostly cartilage and part of the body’s endocrine system. For such a small organ, it plays a large roll in the body. The thyroid emits hormones needed to help regulate many different systems in the body. Hypothyroidism often comes with an enlarged thyroid, but not always.

Because the thyroid has some many roles in the body, it can have serious affects when it is not working properly. Fortunately, hypothyroidism is easily diagnosed. Blood tests can be done to measure the levels of thyroid hormones, such as thyroid hormone thyroxine and thyroid-stimulating hormone, in the bloodstream. If there are unusually high or low levels of these hormones, doctors may prescribe medicine to be taking everyday or just regular visits to have blood tests done to monitor the levels.

The most common medication for treating hypothyroidism is levothyroxine, a synthetic thyroid hormone. As shown in the picture, it is a very small pill. Levothyroxine helps stabilize the levels of thyroid hormones in the blood. There are other medications available which do the same thing, but are not as common.

Because the thyroid affects so many systems there are a wide variety of symptoms of hypothyroidism. Chronic fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to cold, headache, muscle and joint aches, weight gain (despite diminished appetite), constipation, and dry skin are just some of various symptoms. Even once the thyroid hormone levels are be regulated by medications some symptoms can still persist.

When I was first told I had hypothyroidism, I was about twelve years old. I didn’t know what a thyroid was and definitely didn’t know what its use was. I quickly learned. I have hypothyroidism, but it is not extreme. I take a small purple pill everyday and visit the doctor once a year for blood tests.

One bad thing about hypothyroidism is you never really know what it can affect. As mentioned above, the thyroid helps regulate so many systems. I could wake up with a headache and while it is most likely just the weather, there’s always a small chance its related to my thyroid. It seems to me every ache or pain could be blamed on the thyroid, because it does so much.

I’m entirely sure if hypothyroidism is hereditary or not. Neither of my parents have hypothyroidism. My cousin had Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder. How thankful I am to not have that!

I am nineteen now and still learning a great deal about the thyroid and what it does. It even affects the heart! A friend of mine, when faced with the news she might have a thyroid problem, told me some of her fears about it. I hope I came to some comfort when I told her, “I just live everyday…”


Simon, H. (2009, May 21). What is hyperthyroidism.Hyperthyrodism.. Retrieved, March 26, 2010. From the Ebscohost database.