How Is Your Thyroid?

"SARA was deeply grieved over the loss of her baby during her first trimester. About a year later, she lost another baby. Several medical tests failed to reveal the cause. As the years went by, Sara started to gain weight, even though she monitored her food intake and exercised regularly. She also developed cramps in her legs and an increased sensitivity to cold. Finally, blood tests and an ultrasound of her thyroid gland revealed that Sara had a disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, a possible cause of her miscarriages.*

Like most people, Sara had rarely given thought to her thyroid. But her deteriorating health revealed just how important that gland is.

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland situated in the front of the neck just below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid has two lobes that wrap around the trachea, or windpipe, and the whole gland weighs a little under an ounce. It is part of the body’s endocrine system, a group of organs and tissues that produce, store, and secrete hormones—chemical messengers—directly into the bloodstream."

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