Mr. Speaker, June is Thyroid Awareness Month in Canada. Roughly four in 10 Canadians will have thyroid disease during their lifetime, but of those, only 50% will be diagnosed. Some will be hyperthyroid, overactive; some will be hypothyroid, underactive; and some will contract thyroid cancer, often known as "the good cancer" because of its high cure rate. All are treatable.
However, if left untreated, thyroid diseases like Graves's disease can have serious long-term health effects, including severe vision impairment and joint problems. As someone who has Graves's disease, I wish that I had been aware of the early warning signs and had been diagnosed and treated much sooner than I was.
Thyroid disease knows no age, so I encourage all Canadians to visit thyroid.ca to learn about the early warning signs and symptoms of thyroid disease, and see a doctor immediately for a diagnosis if they have any doubts.