How to keep the thyroid healthy in life？

   As an important endocrine organ of the human body, the normality of the function of the thyroid gland directly affects our physical health. So, in daily life, how should we keep the thyroid gland healthy?

Develop the habit of self-examination

To protect the thyroid gland, we can perform self-examination frequently. In our spare time, you may wish to "touch" the position of your neck, which will help us detect abnormalities of the thyroid gland as early as possible. Specifically, we can first touch both sides of the neck to see if they are symmetrical and whether there is any swelling.

Under normal circumstances, the two sides of the neck should be relatively uniform. If one side is obviously swollen, it needs to be taken seriously. Then, we can swallow saliva to see if we can find the thyroid gland that moves up and down with the swallowing action.

Then, touch the thyroid gland carefully to feel whether there are soft bulges, small lumps, or hard nodules. If an abnormal swelling is found, you should seek medical attention in time for further examination and diagnosis.

Avoid bad environments and substances

In life, we should try to avoid harmful environments such as heavy metals, ionizing radiation, and pesticides. These harmful substances may damage thyroid cells and affect the normal function of the thyroid gland.

For example, long-term exposure to heavy metals may interfere with the synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormones, while ionizing radiation may increase the risk of thyroid disease. In addition, we must avoid the abuse of estrogen and be wary of cosmetics and health products containing estrogen.

Excessive estrogen intake may have adverse effects on the endocrine system, which in turn affects the health of the thyroid gland.

Reasonable intake of iodized salt

Iodine is an important raw material for the synthesis of thyroid hormones and is essential for maintaining the normal function of the thyroid gland. Except for special requirements, normal people are best to consume iodized salt, and the daily salt intake per person should not exceed 5 grams.

A moderate amount of iodine intake can ensure the normal synthesis of thyroid hormones, but if iodine is taken in too much or too little, it may cause thyroid disease. For example, iodine deficiency may cause goiter, while excessive iodine may induce problems such as hyperthyroidism.

Avoid overwork

Negative emotions and overwork will disrupt the nervous and endocrine systems, cause immune dysfunction, and make the thyroid gland vulnerable to attack by the immune system. Therefore, we must combine work and rest, live a regular life, and avoid overwork.

At the same time, it is also very important to keep a happy spirit and learn to quickly resolve negative emotions. When we face stress and negative emotions, we can relieve them through exercise, listening to music, talking to friends, etc., in order to maintain the stability of the endocrine system and protect the health of the thyroid gland.

Regular thyroid examinations

For people over 35 years old, especially women, regular thyroid examinations are very necessary. Specifically, thyroid function tests and thyroid ultrasounds are performed every 5 years to detect abnormalities in thyroid function and changes in thyroid morphology in a timely manner.

For pregnant women, thyroid function tests must be performed because abnormal thyroid function may have adverse effects on the growth and development of the fetus.

Before preparing for pregnancy, it is also recommended that women screen for related indicators such as thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) to ensure normal thyroid function and create good conditions for the birth of a healthy baby.

Be alert to physical signs of abnormal thyroid glands

When the thyroid gland is not good, the body often shows some abnormal manifestations. For example, mood swings may make you irritable, anxious or depressed; thickening of the neck is a common manifestation of thyroid enlargement; weight changes, hyperthyroidism may cause weight loss, while hypothyroidism may cause weight gain.

Abnormal sweating, hyperthyroid patients may sweat more, while hypothyroid patients may sweat less; bulging eyes, which is more common in hyperthyroid patients; muscle pain or weakness, abnormal thyroid function may affect the normal metabolism and function of muscles.

If these abnormal symptoms occur, you should seek medical attention in time and conduct relevant examinations for early diagnosis and treatment.

The harm of staying up late to the thyroid gland

The thyroid gland is located 2-3 cm below the "Adam's apple" and is shaped like a butterfly. It secretes an important "weapon"-thyroid hormone all the time to improve the working efficiency of organs throughout the body.

These hormones play an important regulatory role in the body, affecting multiple physiological processes such as metabolism, energy consumption, and body temperature. However, every time you stay up late, you are consuming the "lifespan" of the thyroid gland.

Because staying up late can easily cause endocrine disorders, long-term irregular lifestyles may affect the hormone balance in the body, and then affect thyroid function. Therefore, we need to develop good work and rest habits and ensure adequate sleep so that the thyroid gland can work normally.

To keep the thyroid healthy, we need to start from all aspects of life, develop good living habits, check regularly, and find and deal with problems in time, so that our body can stay healthy and energetic.