How Big Is the Thyroid and 5 Other Facts About the Thyroid

Do you know anything about your thyroid? Your thyroid produces different hormones.

Your thyroid performance affects the health of your brain, heart, liver, and the rest of your major organs. This is why your thyroid is such a vital gland.

The thyroid is pretty amazing, right? But how big is the thyroid? And what are other amazing thyroid facts? Continue reading for everything thyroid-related.

1. How Big is the Thyroid

Even though your thyroid is an integral part of your body, it’s pretty small.

The gland itself is no bigger than your thumb. It’s about five centimeters long, 2 centimeters thick and 3 centimeters wide. The thyroid itself weighs about 25 grams.

It’s shaped like a butterfly. The thyroid gets its shape from the main lobes, located at the left and right.

The lobes connect to the isthmus at the center, which is a little over a centimeter in length. The thyroid is located in the center of your neck, between your vocal cords and your collarbone.

This is the size of a healthy thyroid. But when you have thyroid disease or any complications, the thyroid will become enlarged. Fortunately, you can tell your thyroid is enlarged by feeling along the front and bottom of your neck.

2. How Does Your Thyroid Work

The thyroid supplies the hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) to your body. These hormones are comprised of iodine, which is why patients with thyroid disorder are told to consume food with iodine.

These hormones affect your whole body, which includes:

• Heart
• Fertility
• Bones
• Weight
• Brain
• Skin

The rate at which the hormones are produced is what regulates your body. When your hormones are pumped too fast or too slow, it causes issues.

For example, when your hormones are pumped too fast, your vital body parts such as bones are broken down quickly.

Why does your thyroid affect all major body parts? The hormones influence your blood flow, which controls major bodily functions such as your heart rate.

These hormones are a critical part of all bodily functions, including fertility.

They’re linked directly to fertility hormones, which is why many women develop thyroid problems after childbirth.

3. Thyroid Issues Are Common in Women

More women are affected by thyroid problems than men. But no one knows why.

There are many guesses. Estrogen is the biggest culprit. Thyroid cells have lots of estrogen receptors, so they’re sensitive to female sex hormones.

There are also other health issues related to thyroid problems. A great example is autoimmune disorders. Women tend to be more prone to them, but no one really knows why.

Two examples of this are Hashimoto’s disease and Graves’ disease, which are extremely common in women.

4. Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism

Thyroid disease is separated into two categories: hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism occurs when hormones are released too quickly and hypothyroidism occurs when hormones are released too slowly.

Unfortunately, both of these diseases are difficult to detect. The symptoms are vague and thyroid disease often goes untreated.

Here are common symptoms:

Hyperthyroidism: irritability, perspiration, racing heartbeat, difficulty sleeping, and unexplained weight loss.

Hypothyroidism: dry skin and hair, forgetfulness, constipation, fatigue, muscle cramps, unexplained weight gain.

The other reason why thyroid disease is often left untreated is it requires a special blood test.

Your doctor can feel for an enlarged thyroid, but the only way to truly diagnose thyroid disease is by testing the number of major thyroid hormones in your bloodstream.

5. If You Have Thyroid Problems, Only Worry If You Have To

There have been studies that show a decent amount of patients receiving treatment for thyroid problems may not need them. Thyroid problems are difficult to understand.

Since your thyroid produces so many hormones, you could have abnormal levels in one type but normal levels in another type.

If you were diagnosed with thyroid disease, it’s helpful to visit more than one doctor and see which treatment options they both offer.

If you do have a thyroid condition, they will likely recommend treatment and medications from this website.

In addition, thyroid cancer is a major scare. But thyroid cancer deaths have been rare. Lots of patients are also misdiagnosed and their thyroid problems may not always link to cancer.

6. There Are Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Thyroid Disease

If thyroid disease runs in your family, there are ways you can reduce your risk of thyroid disease. One of the easiest ways is to get more iodine in your diet.

Iodine is a major compound in your thyroid hormones. When you have plenty of iodine in your diet, it helps support your hormones.

A healthy lifestyle also reduces the risk of thyroid disease.

Plenty of healthy food and exercise regulates hormones. But too much exercise and low-calorie diets will throw off your hormonal balance. Other healthy habits, such as not smoking, can also decrease your risk.

But be careful about thyroid supplements. These supplements contain many hormones.

If too many hormones are in your system, it can cause a myriad of health issues. Don’t try and replace or increase your hormones unless recommended by a doctor.

And if you know thyroid disease is in your family genes, get tested once a year. The doctor will check your T3 and T4 levels, but some blood tests monitor all of the thyroid hormones in your bloodstream.

The Thyroid is Important for Your Body

The thyroid is one of the most important parts of your body. The hormones are used in all basic body functions. Most people wonder, how big is the thyroid? And they have other thyroid questions.

The last thing you want is thyroid disease. To ensure healthy body functions, get your bloodwork checked every year.

For more interesting facts, explore our resources.

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