| It has not been established the exact quantity of iodine | | | | during adolescence when the body needs iodine most |
| that is the daily requirement of the body. But the range | | | | and this is more prevalent in girls than boys. |
| is between 0.04 and 0.01 milligrams per day. The food | | | | When a woman is passing through the stages like |
| and water that we take contains very little percentage | | | | puberty, pregnancy, childbirth and at menopause, their |
| of iodine which reduces to zero the risk of overdose | | | | body requires the more thyroxin than usual thereby |
| as a result of those stored in the thyroid gland which | | | | making the thyroid gland to enlarge slightly during this |
| can be there for some time Children from parents that | | | | period. |
| lacked iodine may develop cretinism. This is a situation | | | | After this exercise, the gland may either decrease in |
| whereby the child will be dwarfed, retarded mentally, | | | | size or continue to grow especially if there is shortage |
| have enlarged thyroid gland and a defective speech. | | | | of iodine. |
| You will equally notice in the child, symptoms like rough | | | | There are different types of goiter. Some of them are |
| skin, sparse hairs, brittle nails bad teeth and the child will | | | | as follows |
| be subjected to anemia. | | | | SIMPLE GOITER: In a situation where the body can |
| Iodine deficiency in adults results to myxedema and | | | | not manufacture enough thyroxin to prevent visible |
| this affects the production of thyroid hormone. The | | | | signs of goiter like swollen throat, bulging eyes etc. a |
| manifestation of this disease is slow rate of | | | | simple goiter has occurred. The patient may |
| metabolism, thickening of the skin, loss of hairs, | | | | experience some difficulty in swallowing things, have |
| enlarged thyroid gland and mental sluggishness. | | | | difficulty in breathing, there will be hoarseness and |
| Very close to Adams’s apple and across the wind | | | | cough. The person involved will become lazy, find it |
| pipe is the location of the thyroid gland. It discharges its | | | | difficult to endure and will easily put on weight. |
| chromme directly into the blood and for this reason, the | | | | The hearth will slow down because there is |
| thyroid is known as endoctrine or ductless gland. The | | | | decreased energy. The person will feel lifeless, |
| importance of iodine cannot be overemphasized in | | | | experience poor circulation of blood with cold hands |
| human life. A mere 3½grain of this element stands | | | | and feet. The hair will be lifeless and fall easily. The |
| between intelligence and foolishness. If iodine is | | | | finger nails will become thin. There will be memory |
| deficient in the human body, no drug can restore it. The | | | | failure because of poor circulation of blood, which will |
| thyroid gland regulates the metabolism of the body; it is | | | | be accompanied by constant headache. The bone |
| responsible for converting the food that we eat into | | | | marrow will find it difficult producing red blood cells |
| energy and breaking down of other complex chemical | | | | which will cause anaemia that leads to fatigue. |
| substances to simple ones. This thyroid gland regulates | | | | EXOPHALMIC GOITRE: Another name for this kind of |
| the discharge of energy in the body in order to | | | | goiter is hyperthyroidism and this occurs when the |
| maintain a normal body temperature. | | | | thyroid gland becomes over-active. When the gland |
| When there is a partial lack of iodine in the body, it | | | | becomes over-active, it forces the hearth to beat too |
| gives rise to the goiter. When there is a short supply of | | | | fast. The eyes will bulge out and because food eaten |
| iodine, the thyroid gland enlarges so that it may use the | | | | is digested too fast, the person will begin to loose |
| inadequate supply of iodine to the best advantage. | | | | weight and emaciate not minding the fact that he/she |
| This is what is called goiter. | | | | has the appetite to eat. The person will always feel |
| FACTS ABOUT GOITERS: | | | | heat and will find it difficult to relax. The person will be |
| The thyroid gland is that which regulates the discharge | | | | in constant tension. |
| of energy in the body and helps the body to maintain a | | | | TREATMENT OF GOITER: |
| normal temperance. Once every hour, the entire | | | | No matter the type of goiter in question, their |
| volume of blood in the body passes through the | | | | treatments are very difficult, so it must be handled by |
| thyroid gland and becomes charged with hormone . | | | | a qualified physician. Most times the aim is always to |
| Goiter on the the other hand occurs when there is a | | | | restore the thyroid gland to normal functioning. |
| partial lack of iodine. Goiter occurs more frequently | | | | |