Sometimes, in life, it takes a shocking dose of reality for individuals to realize how serious certain health conditions can be. Surely we all have that one stubborn family member (and if you can’t think of a family member, maybe it’s you) that hasn’t seen their doctor in X-amount of years for a check-up simply because they always say they feel “fine”. Well, here is a scary statistic: 30 Million Americans may be affected by thyroid disorders! That’s nearly 10% of our Nation’s population… Oh, and here’s that SHOCKING DOSE OF REALITY mentioned in line one: More than 15 Million Americans are walking around with some sort of Thyroid condition and they don’t even know it!

The good news is that most thyroid conditions are very common and treatable. That is why it is time to put that age-old quote, “knowledge is power” to good use. Two of the most common thyroid conditions are Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism. Two very big, very similar words with huge differences.

HypOthyroidism (the more common of the two) is when the thyroid gland is not active enough and does not produce the proper amount of thyroid hormones necessary for your body. Hypothyroidism can cause you to gain weight, feel fatigued and have difficulty dealing with cold temperatures. HypERthyroidism is when the thyroid gland is over active and produces more thyroid hormones than necessary. These extra thyroid hormones can cause you to lose weight, speed up your heart rate and make you very sensitive to heat.

If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the above symptoms, a simple blood test from your doctor to check thyroid hormone levels can diagnose either condition. It’s the new year…why not schedule that doctor’s appointment today?

For more information about Hypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism or any other Thyroid Awareness tid-bits, visit www.empoweryourhealth.org or www.healia.com