Understanding the Thyroid and Treatment
The thyroid is a very small gland measuring Thyroid Support Review approximately 2" (5cm), lying under the skin below the Adams apple. The function of the thyroid is to secrete hormones which control the speed of the metabolic rate. Thyroid hormones stimulate just about every tissue in the body to produce proteins at the same time it increases the amount of oxygen the cells use.
The thyroid hormones affect vital body functions parts such as the heart rate, digestion, fertility, the metabolism (the rate that calories are burned), the respiratory rate, skin maintenance, the body's growth and heat production.
Examination by a doctor will determine if there are any growths (nodules) in the thyroid gland, he will then order a ultrasound scan which uses sound waves to measure the size of the gland and then determine whether a growth is solid or filled with some fluid (cystic).
Another type of scan a small amount of radioactive iodine is injected into the bloodstream. When the iodine is concentrated in the thyroid gland a gamma camera then detects the radiation it produces in the picture of the thyroid gland. This will show any physical abnormalities. Scanning can also determine if the functioning of one specific area of the thyroid is normal, under-active or overactive and compare it to the rest of the gland.