Thyroid problems, anyone?

"I blew out my thyroid"

With these words Oprah Winfrey announced to the world on September 10, 2007, that she had become victim to one of the most insidious and troubling ailments in the human race.

The thyroid, a one-ounce gland with a two-winged shape just below your Adam’s apple, does a heroic job for your health. Each of your three billion or so body cells relies on thyroid hormones to regulate its metabolism. These hormones also play
a key role in the development of brain tissue and in the regulation of growth
and other vital functions.

The thyroid gland can act up and often does, especially among older persons. The most common problem is hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid.

At the other extreme is hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid. Thyroid nodules or small growths on the thyroid are a third type of thyroid disease. Fewer than one out
of one hundred thyroid nodules are cancerous.

The most startling fact about thyroid disease is that half of all its victims are unaware that they have a thyroid problem. They sense the signs of thyroid dysfunction such as thinning hair, fatigue, cold hands and feet, weight gain, and dry itchy skin but do not recognize them as symptoms of thyroid disease. Untreated, these conditions
worsen and can cause serious health problems.

Your doctor will probably want to check your thyroid’s function with a blood test if you have symptoms of aging; are feeling tired, forgetful, or depressed; or if you have experienced a sudden weight loss or weight gain without a clear reason.

By testing for the amount of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in your blood, your doctor can tell if you have a thyroid disorder even before you have any symptoms.

If you have hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), your TSH levels will be high; persons with hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) may have small or undetectable levels of TSH.

The good news about an underactive thyroid is that the condition is readily
diagnosed from a few drops of blood and easily treated with medication.

Unfortunately, many persons don’t realize that they are suffering from a thyroid problem until it has progressed so far that their bodily functions have
begun to go awry.

An underactive thyroid is often the result of a quirk in the immune system that turns it against the thyroid and either blocks the thyroid from producing hormones or else attacks the thyroid itself and attempts to destroy it.

With an underactive thyroid it is relatively easy to replace the biological hormone produced by the gland with synthetic hormones that mimic that work of natural hormones. All you have to do is take the medicine as directed and have your TSH levels measured from time to time as your doctor requests.

When your thyroid is producing too much thyroid hormone, you may feel tremors and heart palpitations because the hormone is affecting your circulatory and nervous systems.

Anti-thyroid medications, radioactive iodine, and surgery are the treatment options for a person with an overactive thyroid.

Goiters can form with normal, high, or low levels of thyroid hormone. If the goiter is visible or interferes with swallowing, surgery is the best way to take care of the problem.

Your chances of having thyroid disease are higher the older you are, especially if you are female. Estimates are that one in four nursing home patients have underactive thyroids but have not been diagnosed and are not receiving treatment.

Don’t hesitate to mention it to your doctor if you suspect you may have a
thyroid problem.

Recommended sources for learning more about the thyroid:

The American Thyroid Association
Endocrine Web
Medline Plus