How to Deal with Eczema

As a teenager, I had fairly average skin. Sensitive skin that couldn’t tolerate nickel in anything, but still fairly average. I was susceptible to the occasional acne breakout but overall, my skin was okay. But then, my Junior year of high school, something changed. It started with a red patch on the inside of my elbows. An itchy patch that I tried to leave alone, but just couldn’t. Then that same irritating patch appeared on the backs of my knees. Still, no big deal. I dealt with it because that’s what I had to do. It wasn’t until my Senior year of high school, after dealing with the occasional disappearance and reappearance of the red patches, that it spread to my neck. Before I could…

Making Sense of Thyroid Disease

Making Sense of Thyroid Disease

I was diagnosed with a hyperthyroid when I was in my mid-20s. It was never enough to be on medication but enough that I had to go to the endocrinologist every six months for blood work. Before that, I just thought I had a high metabolism. But then I started getting heart palpitations, I was always hungry, my sleep patterns were off… something just wasn’t right. I knew there was something wrong but I couldn’t put a finger on it. That’s why today’s post is about making sense of thyroid disease and understanding what it is. First, let’s talk about the thyroid. It’s located in your throat and is part of the endocrine system. The thyroid produces T3 and T4 hormones that regulate your metabolic…