A thyroid nodule is an irregular mass of thyroid cells that form a lump in the thyroid gland. According to the American Thyroid Association (ATA), thyroid nodules are the most common endocrine problem in America. Nodules that contain fair amounts...
Although having any strange lumps or bumps in any organ of your body is scary, thyroid cysts generally are not cancerous. This can be confirmed with a biopsy. Often the cysts are fluid filled, which means the body will re-absorb the fluid over...
Lumps in the throat that you can feel with your fingers from the outside of your neck can mean anything from a swollen lymph node to a thyroid cyst or a tumor. A lump on the inside of the throat that you cannot feel with you fingers could signify...
A struggle with weight is a common challenge for women. This includes weight gain, weight maintenance and weight loss. According to the Mayo Clinic, major hormone and life changes that occur in a woman's life, such as pregnancy and menopause, can...
Thyroid nodules are cysts on your thyroid gland that are sometimes filled with fluid. According to the Mayo Clinic, most thyroid nodules are benign, especially if they accompany another thyroid condition such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism....
Hiccups are an involuntary reflex caused by sudden spasms of the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities. The glottis---a tissue flap that protects the airway during swallowing---snaps shut as the diaphragm spasms,...
Exercise can significantly improve your quality of life. In addition to helping ward off osteoporosis, regular activity can increase your cardiovascular fitness, strengthen your immune system and alleviate depression. However, female athletes who...
The thyroid gland is important; it helps maintain a balance of calcium in the bloodstream, and it regulates the body's metabolism. While the gland releases the calcitonin hormone to lower a high blood calcium level, the T4 and T3 thyroid hormones...
Removal of part or all of the thyroid gland is called a thyroidectomy, and is necessary when you have a cancerous thyroid nodule. You may also require surgery if you are suffering from symptoms due to a benign thyroid nodule. Other reasons for...
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck located just above the collarbone. It is an endocrine gland that produces a hormone that sets your metabolism, helping your body get energy from the food you eat. When the thyroid is overactive,...
The thyroid is an endocrine gland, which means it produces hormones in the body. It is located at the bottom front of the neck and is controlled by a nearby gland called the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland secretes thyroid-stimulating hormone...
Hormone imbalances can affect both sexes. Some hormones are characteristic of both sexes; others are more prevalent in one gender than the other. However, males produce small amounts of female hormones and women produce small quantities of male...
The thyroid is a small gland located in the lower part of the neck that secrets hormones, mainly triiodothyronine, or T3; and thyroxine, or T4. When the thyroid malfunctions, hormone levels, metabolism, energy and weight can fluctuate. Exercise...
Normally, a girl begins to develop pubic hair between 10 and 11 years old. However, some medical conditions can cause young girls to exhibit early signs of puberty before the age of 8. Although premature pubic hair growth cannot be prevented, the...
The thyroid gland is located in the neck, just under the larynx, or voice box. The thyroid secretes two hormones: thyroxine, or T4, and triiodothyronine, or T3. Hormones T4 and T3 stimulate metabolism and promote cellular oxygen consumption....
No one wants to see a clump of hair in the bathtub drain, but excessive hair loss can be especially distressing for women. When a woman's hair becomes noticeably sparse, the cause is usually a derivative of the male hormone testosterone called...
HCG is an abbreviation used for human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone that appears naturally during pregnancy. The presence of hCG in a woman's bloodstream helps doctors confirm a pregnancy or determine the age of a developing fetus. HCG is also...
Menstrual periods are different for every woman, in both the duration and amount of bleeding, but excessively heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding can be a serious problem. Menstrual cycles that are heavy enough to interfere with a woman's daily...
The thyroid is a gland that is located in the throat, positioned just below the larynx, or voice box. It is shaped like a butterfly with one wing fitting on each side of the windpipe. The thyroid produces a hormone called thyroid hormone, referred...
Birth control pills, commonly called "the pill" are used to prevent pregnancy and regulate a woman's menstrual cycle. Typically, a woman will take one active (hormone-containing) pill per day for three weeks, then will take either no pills or...
Taking certain medications, such as birth control pills, can delay your period, but not any particular supplements that you can purchase over the counter. Some supplements, such as iron, can actually help your menstrual cycle if you have anemia....
Menstruation, also known as your period, is a 28-day cycle that fertile women usually experience every month. Such female hormones as estrogen and progesterone dictate this cycle each month. Other hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone and...
The thyroid, a bow-tie shaped gland located above the collarbone, regulates the body's energy level, pulse and heart rate. Symptoms in men appear if the thyroid produces too much or too little hormone, and if there is a benign or malignant growth...
Regular intake of iodine, a halogen element, is essential to good health. Guy Abrahams, a physician and one of the leading experts in iodine deficiency, notes that medical textbooks used to state that the only known use of iodine in the body was...
The thyroid is a gland located in your neck that produces hormones important for healthy energy levels and metabolism. If you develop a thyroid cyst or tumor, have thyroid cancer or if your thyroid is extremely overactive, your doctor may...
Kelp, a brown leafy edible seaweed that grows along colder coastlines, has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine to treat a variety of health issues. It started to gain interest as a supplement in the 1980s when sea vegetables...
A goiter is simply an enlarged thyroid gland. Symptoms can occur when the thyroid increases in size and compresses other structures in the neck like the esophagus and windpipe. According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists,...
Lumps that form in the thyroid, a hormone-producing gland below the Adam's apple, are called nodules, a catch-all term encompassing many different varieties. Although usually harmless, nodules are very common -- according to the New York Thyroid...
Hair loss, medically known as alopecia, can be a frustrating experience, and for young women, its cause may be particularly mysterious. It is normal to lose a certain amount of hair each day. According to the Mayo Clinic, most people shed 50 to...