{"id":827,"date":"2020-04-06T19:51:11","date_gmt":"2020-04-06T23:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/?p=827"},"modified":"2020-04-06T19:51:11","modified_gmt":"2020-04-06T23:51:11","slug":"it-impacts-weight-sleep-and-mental-health-what-you-need-to-know-about-your-thyroid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/it-impacts-weight-sleep-and-mental-health-what-you-need-to-know-about-your-thyroid\/","title":{"rendered":"It Impacts Weight, Sleep and Mental Health: What You Need to Know About Your Thyroid"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Michele Adams is quick to say, \u201cI don\u2019t want to throw anyone under the bus,\u201d but it took her being hit by a car for her thyroid disease to finally be diagnosed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adams has always been an active person, but for a few years, she had felt tired and had a constant tightness in her throat. She was diagnosed with post-nasal drip but did not feel relief after a year of treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought this exhaustion, hoarse voice and lump in my throat were just my new normal,\u201d Adams said. \u201cI\u2019d accepted it, and I shouldn\u2019t have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this time, Adams went on a bike ride in northeastern New Jersey \u2013 something she still does frequently. However, on this day, Adams was struck by a car as she was biking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The incident resulted in an MRI scan. Adams was not seriously injured, but doctors noticed something unexpected. The scan revealed nodules in her lower neck, which suggested thyroid disease\u2060.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI now realize I had symptoms of a thyroid condition for years,\u201d Adams said. \u201cI\u2019d had it up to here with not feeling like myself. Once I had the MRI results, I knew to seek out a thyroid expert, and I found an endocrinologist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What you probably do not know about your thyroid<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thyroid disease is more common than diabetes and heart disease, but more than half of Americans with thyroid disease are unaware, according to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE). This lack of awareness can endanger a person\u2019s health and well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located low in the front of the neck below the Adam\u2019s apple. It produces thyroid hormones that influence almost every cell, tissue and organ in the human body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common signs of thyroid diseases include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n