Etobicoke’s Kat Ostroumova, a top trainer, suffers from thyroid disease and now help others cope. Courtesy photo.
June is Thyroid Disease Awareness Month and you are encouraged to get checked for the disease, according to the Thyroid Foundation of Canada (TFC).
Etobicoke’s Kat Ostroumova, one of Canada’s top fitness trainer 2024, suffers from a thyroid condition and said up to 50 per cent of people are unaware of the condition and are undiagnosed.
Ostroumova has used her challenges to start her own business, KAT International Fitness, to transform her life along with many others who are trying to deal with the disease.
June is Thyroid Disease Awareness Month.
There are an estimated 200 million people in the world who have some form of thyroid condition and studies indicate in Canada one in three people suffer from the condition, according to the TFC.
“If left untreated, hypothyroidism can lead to serious heart, bone and other health complications,” according to the organization.
The TFC said more than 12 percent of Canadian women will develop a thyroid condition in their lifetime and women are five to eight times more likely than men to experience thyroid conditions.
Here are some ways to check if you have thyroid issues. Courtesy photo.
Signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism includes dry skin, goiter, depression, fatigue, sensitivity to cold and weak slow heartbeat. It also includes weight loss, anxiety, rapid forceful heartbeat, tremor and eye changes.
The TFC is a non-profit registered volunteer organization which was founded in 1980 by Diana Meltzer Abramsky in Kingston, Ontario.
The group offers a dedicated toll-free telephone line manned by volunteers, fundraising for thyroid research and sharing important medical information on its website.
The thyroid is a tiny, butterfly-shaped gland, that plays a huge role in your body by influencing the functions of many of the body’s most important organs, including the heart, brain, liver, kidneys and skin.
During Thyroid Awareness Month you are urged to learn more about the disease and support those affected by it.
You can help by volunteering to help others or by simply becoming a member of TFC. For further information contact 1-800-267-8822; visit https://thyroid.ca or email info@throid.ca