Take Control of Your Thyroid Health with Preventive Care
8 Minutes
Team Curative
Oct 11, 2024
When was the last time you had your thyroid checked?
Given its important role in several bodily functions, thyroid health is linked to various symptoms that affect overall wellness and quality of life. Taking steps to keep your thyroid healthy and engaging in preventive healthcare with a primary care provider can help you minimize symptoms and live your healthiest life.
An estimated 13 million Americans are living with an undiagnosed thyroid condition because the symptoms are often dismissed or easily mistaken for something else. Continue reading to see how preventive care impacts the thyroid.
What is the thyroid?
When someone refers to a thyroid, they are actually talking about the thyroid gland.
The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland normally located in the lower front part of the neck. Its utility is to make thyroid hormones, which are secreted into the bloodstream and then carried to all tissues in the body. Thyroid hormones assist the body with several functions, such as energy usage, staying warm, and keeping the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs operating properly.
As with many organs, if the thyroid isn’t healthy, the entire body system can be impacted. That’s where preventive care services come in, but first, we need to understand how the thyroid can become unhealthy.
Thyroid disease is an umbrella term for illnesses that impact how the thyroid functions. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are two main types of thyroid disease, but they each have multiple possible causes and symptoms. There is also a third lesser-known thyroid-related illness — thyroid eye disease.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland fails to make enough of the needed thyroid hormone. This condition may also be referred to as an underactive thyroid. Hypothyroidism may not cause noticeable symptoms in its early stages. Over time, hypothyroidism that isn't treated can lead to other health problems, such as high cholesterol and heart problems.
Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include:
Fast heart rate
Difficulty sleeping
Unexplained weight loss
Sensitivity to heat
Clammy or sweaty skin
Anxiety or irritability
Irregular or heavy periods (amenorrhea)
Blood tests are typically used to diagnose hypothyroidism, so taking advantage of preventive care services like routine check-ups and blood panels is key for anyone who wants to stay on top of their thyroid health. The good news is that preventive healthcare helps patients find illness early, so hypothyroidism treatment is usually simple, safe, and effective once you and your provider find the right dosage for you. If you suspect you have hyperthyroidism — or any thyroid-related health issues — you should consult with your physician as soon as possible to determine the cause of the issue and begin treatment.
Hyperthyroidism
Contrasted to hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism is sometimes called an overactive thyroid. It is a condition where the thyroid gland makes and releases too much of the thyroid hormone, leading to increased metabolism. Like hypothyroidism, using preventive care services to learn about illnesses early makes treatment easier. Hyperthyroidism can be treated with medication and surgery.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
Tiredness
Sensitivity to cold
Constipation
Dry skin
Weight gain
Puffy face
Hoarse voice
Coarse hair and skin
Muscle weakness
Tender, achy, or stiff muscles
Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual cycles
Thinning hair
Slowed heart rate (bradycardia)
Depression
Memory problems
Thyroid eye disease
Thyroid eye disease is an eye illness that causes inflammation and damage to the tissues around the eye, including muscles, fatty tissue, and connective tissue. Thyroid eye disease is an autoimmune illness and can be discovered via preventive healthcare services, such as an ultrasound of the eyes, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging.
Thyroid diseases are usually treatable with medication, so it is important to stay engaged in your overall wellness by taking advantage of preventive healthcare services, such as routine checkups and screenings. Failure to get preventive care or discover thyroid issues early on can lead to other health issues. If left untreated, inflammation caused by thyroid eye disease can gradually decrease on its own. However, it may cause damage to vision throughout the course of the disease. Sometimes, the damage caused by the enlargement of the tissues may not cease. Thus, the goal of treatment is to limit inflammation and swelling occurring during the active or inflammatory phase, protect the eye, and prevent vision loss.
How does the thyroid affect the body as a whole?
If thyroid illnesses go untreated, the entire body suffers. There are an array of symptoms people experience if they have thyroid disease, but symptoms of a thyroid condition are often similar to the signs of other medical conditions. This can make it difficult to know if symptoms are related to a thyroid issue or something else entirely.
If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms, you and your providers will be better equipped to rule out thyroid disease — or get you healthy again — by using preventive healthcare services.
How do providers treat thyroid-related issues?
Preventive care is key for illnesses like thyroid disease. Routine blood work and other screenings can help your provider find any issues early enough to initiate a prompt, successful treatment regimen.
Once a thyroid illness is suspected, your provider will begin by asking about your symptoms and medical history and doing a physical exam. During the physical exam, your provider may gently feel your thyroid gland to check if it’s enlarged or if there are noticeable nodules.
Your provider may need to use diagnostic thyroid tests to confirm a diagnosis. These include:
Blood tests can tell you if you have hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. There are several types of thyroid blood tests, including thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), T3 and T4, and thyroid antibodies.
Imaging tests help providers look for nodules (lumps) and/or goiter. Nuclear medicine imaging like a thyroid uptake and scan can help show if nodules are overactive.
Consider seeing a primary care provider if you have signs and symptoms of thyroid disease, or if you can feel a nodule in the lower front of your neck.
Curative: Supporting your healthcare journey.
Curative offers employer-sponsored affordable health insurance plans that empower members with access to preventive healthcare. Our goal is to provide members with transparent pricing, benefits, and wellness incentives. With an affordable health insurance plan that gives access to preventive care, you can take care of your whole body.
Our approach to insurance prioritizes providing members with access to preventive healthcare. Need an insurance plan that allows you to engage in and take control of your healthcare? With Curative, you can focus on wellness, not cost. Our health plan delivers better health through affordability, engagement, and simplicity.
Access to $0 care: Finding in-network services – such as routine check-ups and blood panels for thyroid-related illnesses – can take a lot of time, especially without help. We help members find in-network services at zero cost to them, so they can rest assured they’ll find a provider.
No-hassle meds: Access to medication is a huge part of many treatment plans, including treatment for thyroid disease. Members have access to rapid medication delivery through the Curative Pharmacy. We can also help find an in-network pharmacy along with guidance on transferring and filling prescriptions. We help ensure medication is working properly and can offer guidance if members have questions about side effects or usage. No-hassle meds mean you can focus on being your best self, both in and outside the workplace.
Support on your time: Our care team will help your talent stay on track with their care through one-on-one check-ins. We work around the work schedule and can provide support as frequently or as seldom as needed, so they can engage in their wellness.
Virtual therapy: Today, many people are always on the go, but that shouldn’t mean sacrificing mental health preventive care services. Many illnesses, like thyroid disease, can impact mental health. That's why it's so important to have access to virtual care. You can tap into remote therapy. It's hassle-free to schedule appointments and get connected to a therapist within a week.
Cancer Screenings with Galleri: Curative offers eligible members no-cost access to the Galleri® multi-cancer early detection test from GRAIL. Galleri can help detect more than 50 types of cancer with a single blood test.
For more information on health insurance, Texas comprehensive care resources, and how Curative can help you cultivate better employee mental health in your organization, visit our members page.
Every Curative member can qualify for the $0 deductible or copay for in-network care and preferred prescriptions. Just complete a Baseline Visit in your first 120 days of the plan's effective date. See curative.com to learn more. Curative Insurance Company PPO.
To see all disclaimers, please view them here.
References
UCLA Health (2021, February). Think you have a thyroid disorder? Here's what you need to know. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/think-you-have-a-thyroid-disorder-heres-what-you-need-to-know.
American Thyroid Association. Thyroid Function Tests. https://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-function-tests/.
Cleveland Clinic (2024, March). Thyroid Disease. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8541-thyroid-disease.
Mayo Clinic (2022, December). Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothyroidism/symptoms-causes/syc-20350284.
Cleveland Clinic (2021, October). Hyperthyroidism. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14129-hyperthyroidism.
Cleveland Clinic (2022, September). Thyroid Eye Disease. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17558-thyroid-eye-disease.
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Table of Contents
What is the thyroid?
How does the thyroid affect the body as a whole?
How do providers treat thyroid-related issues?
Curative: Supporting your healthcare journey.
