For such a tiny gland, the thyroid can cause some big trouble when it malfunctions. Your thyroid’s health is critical to your overall body’s health. During January, Thyroid Awareness Month, take the time to learn the signs and risks. Thyroid problems are, after all, very common.

“Essentially, (the thyroid) influences every single organ system in the body,” Dr. Jeffrey Garber, from Harvard Vanguard Medical Center and past president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, said. “When it malfunctions, every organ system in the body may malfunction as well. As a result, you may have every symptom or feature or sign of that organ’s malfunction. It makes it particularly pressing to know that, as there are many things in the world we can’t do anything about, but if your thyroid function is the basis of your illness or your not feeling well, it can be taken care of.”

Thyroid problems affect more people than diabetes or heart disease. About 30 million Americans – fully 5 percent of the Unites States population – suffer from thyroid disorders, yet the majority are unaware they have a problem. Women and the elderly are more commonly affected.

The thyroid is a small gland positioned in the base of the neck. It is critical to the body’s wellbeing as it influences many important organs, such as the heart, brain, liver, kidneys and skin. The thyroid’s health is key to a healthy body.

Two common thyroid disorders are hypothyroidism, when the gland is not producing enough thyroid hormone, and hyperthyroidism, when the body has excessive amounts of thyroid hormone.

“It ranges from absolutely no symptoms and features to extreme illness that requires emergency hospitalization,” Garber said. “And the spectrum ranges from having much, much too much thyroid hormone to much, much too little. The appearance of both varies a great deal, but both can be life-threatening.”

Occurring in nearly 1 percent of Americans, hyperthyroidism can be mild and cause few symptoms. Usually, however, the symptoms can be disabling and potentially fatal. Hyperthyroidism is associated with fast heart rate, anxiety, irritability, weight loss, loss of scalp hair, muscle weakness, and loose and frequent bowel movements.

“You can feel anxious just being with (someone with hyperthyroidism) because they are so active,” Garber described. “The hypothyroid person can almost feel as if you want to fall asleep because they are so slow.”

Hypothyroidism also has few initial signs. The thyroid decreases its hormone production, causing metabolism to slow. Patients develop pervasive fatigue, drowsiness, forgetfulness, difficulty with learning, dry and brittle hair, dry and itchy skin, constipation, weight gain, and puffy face.

“The most striking thing is the variation. I’ve seen the extreme to leading to near death and I’ve seen people tolerate marked deficiency of thyroid hormone and not be all that compromised by it. I’ve seen people who have minor thyroid problems and have lots of complaints … We are who we are first, and the diseases follow,” Garber said.

As the signs of thyroid problems can be difficult to catch, it is important to know if you are at risk. Those with a family history of disorders, those taking Lithium or Amiodarone, those who have had radiation therapy to the head or neck and those who lived near Chernobyl should be especially cautious and consider a thyroid evaluation. For those concerned they may be developing a thyroid problem, a simple at-home check can help determine if you need to see a professional.

Abnormal thyroids may be enlarged or have lumps, although a thyroid may feel normal and be functioning abnormally. Your regular physician can also check for thyroid problems with a simple blood test.

“The biggest challenge is the physician or the patient being aware that they have one, because once you ask the question, it needs an answer,” Garber explained. “And then the question is, is the thyroid responsible for what is going on and checking it. So that is always the biggest clinical challenge when you see somebody who is quite ill, dawning on you that it might be related to a thyroid problem. And the same thing is for a patient who is not feeling well for a long time and having all sorts of evaluations and being misdiagnosed as being depressed or having a bowel disorder or a heart condition and being anxious and somebody overlooking the possibility that maybe their thyroid is responsible.”

This January marks the 18th Thyroid Awareness Month. It is a time for the AACE to reach out to the public through an extensive multi-media strategy, innovative marketing approaches, grassroots efforts and partnerships with other organizations, in order to ensure that people with thyroid dysfunction are properly diagnosed and treated.

“It’s literally to make people aware of thyroid problems, to be attuned to them and ultimately, if you do have a thyroid problem, to learn enough about it or to make sure you get properly taken care of,” Garber said. “So it’s awareness with the goal of being properly diagnosed and properly cared for.”

The largest group of clinical endocrinologists in the world, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, is a nonprofit group of practicing endocrinologists dedicated to providing access to information on diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

“We’re patient-centric,” Garber said. “We are clinical endocrinologists so even though there are researchers among us who do scientific research that ranges from the basic to the clinical, all of us have an interest in taking care of patients. So we’re the largest group in the world that is principally devoted to the care of patients.”

The organization has been extremely effective in rolling out educational programs and establishing the proper role of endocrinologists.

“This is an opportunity to spread the word. It’s nice to have an impact beyond our own neighborhood,” Garber said.

For more information, visit www.aace.com.