Goiter Awareness Week is celebrated every fourth week of January by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 1188, signed on 11 December 2006. This year’s theme “Goiter Sugpuin, Isip Patalinuhin, Iodized Salt Gamitin”, emphasizes the importance of using iodized salt in the prevention of iodine deficiency disorders such as goiter. This will be celebrated from 24-30 January 2021.
According to the 2013 National Nutrition Survey, about 5.8 million Filipinos were affected with thyroid disorders. Goiter is one of the common diseases in the Philippines, and it affects the thyroid gland. It is a condition wherein there is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland which is located at the base of the neck. It is usually caused by the over or underproduction of thyroid hormones in the body. The most common cause of goiters is the insufficient consumption of iodine in the diet. Iodine is an essential nutrient in the production of thyroid hormones in the body.
A person who has goiter may experience the following symptoms: swelling of the thyroid gland (neck area), difficulty in breathing and swallowing, coughing, tight feeling in the throat, decrease/increase of weight, tiredness, and depression. If thyroid disorders are left untreated, it may lead to detrimental reduction of intellectual ability and physical capacity and worse, it may even cause deaths to vulnerable individuals especially to young children.
Thus, to prevent having thyroid disorders such as goiter, it is important to follow Kumainment No. VII “Gumamit ng iodized salt”. The use of iodized salt, especially in cooking, significantly decrease the cases of iodine deficiency in the country. It is recommended to include iodine-rich foods such as seafoods like shellfish and seaweeds, meat, milk and other dairy products, egg, peanuts and others in the diet. Furthermore, it is important to give special attention to pregnant mothers since deficiency in iodine may lead to miscarriage, premature birth and giving birth to a baby with low intellectual capacity. People who experience the symptoms of goiter must be given with an immediate medical attention. ###FVV
