HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1985-12-11, Page 44Panasonic
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Regional Value Spatter, Decem.be. r 11, 1985
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BY. l ran,
usan, a 30 -year-old
Social worker and
mother of two, felt
exhausted. She couldn't are autoimmune problems, in
get enough sleep. She which sufferers become
was irritable with "allergic" to their own thyroid
friends and family. Her face was glands.
puffy and swollen, her skin While the causes are still
flaky. elusive, research does indicate
She attributed her symptoms that certain foods, drugs and
to a head cold that seemed to radiation treatments may
drag' on endlessly. But when her exacerbate some thyroid
hair suddenly began to turn gray problems.
and 'her menstrual periods came Hypothyroidism is four times
18 days, Susan knew more common in women than
ng was terribly wrong. men. Although experts aren't
mists diagnosed an sure why, it's likely that
underactive thyroid, or women's thyroid deficiencies are
hypothyroidism. related to their more complex
Melanie, a 40 -year-old ad endocrine systems.
agency executive, ate copious Symptoms of hypothyroidism
amounts of food but continued may include fatigue and
to lose weight. Her once -radiant lethargy, increased need for
skin turned sallow. Her elevated sleep, scaly, dry, itchy skin,
upper eyelids and bulging eyes memory and hair Toss. infertility,
gave her a weird, staring look. low body temperature and
She felt weak and had intolerance to cold, constipation,
difficulty completing her muscular aches and pains,
aerobics routine at the local low-pitched voice, diminished
gym. One day her legs trembled sexual function and heavy
and were so weak she couldn't menstrual periods.
rise from a squat. Her doctor Even with multiple symptoms.
diagnosed an overactive thyroid, hypothyroidism is often
or hyperthyroidism. overlooked -or misdiagnosed.
Recent studies indicate that "Symptoms may appear slowly.
nearly 10 million North The diagnosis can be easily
Americans, the vast majority of missed," according to Dr.
them women, suffer from some William Nolen,' a specialist in
form of thyroid malfunction. An thoracic surgery in Litchfield,
estimated 2 million aren't aware Kan.
of thyroid's role in their chronic Women are five times more
health problems. likely than men to have
In addition, the World Health overactive thyroids or
Organization estimates that 200 hyperthyroidism, also known as
million people worldwide suffer Grave's disease,
from enlarged thyroids, Hyperthyroidism is the most
nmonly called goiters. common thyroid problem.-
hyroid is an endocrine or The warning signs of
du gland located in the ' hyperthyroidism include
front of the neck below the nervousness, irritability and
Adam's apple. It weighs less anxiety, weight loss, muscle
than.an ounce (15 to 25 grams). weakness, rapid heart rate,
what causes thyroid
abnormalities. Some think they
may be linked to stress, but the.,
research is inconclusive. Others
suspect that thyroid malfunctions
ever
so
He
While small in size, this
important gland regulates
metabolism — how fast and
efficiently the body utilizes its
fuel.
The thyroid controls
metabolism by releasing the
hormones.thyroxin (T4) and
bulging eyes, intolerance to heat
and light, easy fatigue,
insomnia, excessive sweating,
darkening of elbows and knees,
fingernails that separate from the
nailbeds, increased frequency of
bowel movements and irregular
menstrual periods. ,
triiodothyronine (T3) into the.. Particularly'in women, these
bloodstream. The thyroid, in synhptoms are often
turn, is controlled by a substance misdiagnosed as anxiety attacks
called thyroid stimulating • and mistreated with '
hormone (THS) secreted by the antidepressant medications.
pituitary which is directed by the The mineral iodine is .
brain.concentrated in the thyroid and
Hormonal excess produces is an essential. ingredient in
hyperthyroidism; the body's 'thyroxin. "Iodine is the cause of
metabolic "engine" races even more thyroid problems than all
while at rest and the person may other food substances
experience rapid weight loss and combined," according to the
profuse sweating. 'co-authors of "Your Thyroid"
Hormonal insufficiency causes (see Resources).
the'.sluggish metabolism of The Food and Nutrition Board
hypothyroidism; the sufferer may of the National Research Counci
gain weight easily and feel cold recommends only 150 to 300
much of the time. micrograms (mcg..)' of iodine per
But the symptoms of hypo- day, but most North Americans
and hyperthyroidism can vary consume 200 to 700 mcg. per
greatly'from person to person — day.
anything from gray hair (which Studies have shown that an
sometimes occurs. in abrupt increase in iodine
hypothyroidismpto extreme " consumption can raise or lower
irritability and even psychosis thyroid activity. Health food
(which sometimes.accompanies users can, unknowingly,
hyperthyroidism) may be caused consume excessive amounts of
by a malfunctioning thyroid. iodine by eating foods high in
Endocrinologists aren't sure iodinc.like kelp.
omen's Problem Gland
Fortunately, most people can
tolerate excess iodine well and
most fonds are low in iodine.
Fruits and vegetables have
insignificant amounts of iodine,
but kelp, cod liver oil, seaweed,
some types of mushrooms and
ocean fish contain iodine in
amounts that may cause
problems for thyroid sufferers.
Those with hypo- or
hyperthyroidism who are
pregnant or lactating should take
special precautions to avoid
excessive amounts of iodine. If a
woman consumes too much
iodine (usually in medication)
during pregnancy, her baby may
be born with hypothyroidism and
a goiter. Nursing mothers can
also transmit excessive iodine
through their milk.
Other foods potentially
dangerous to thyroid sufferers
are those which contain
"goitrogens," chemicals that
restrict the production of
thyroxin. These include cabbage,
Brussels sprouts, turnips,
cauliflower, rutabaga and
soybean products.
With decreased thyroxin, the
thyroid overworks to produce
more of the hormone, increases
in' size and can form into a
goiter. Many medical authorities
recommend that those with weak
thyroids avoid goitrogenic foods.
Some medical treatments,,
such as the iodine dyes injected '
for diagnostic purposes, may be
dangerous for thyroid sufferers.
To,.diagnose a painful back.
problem, for example, a
physician may recommend a
myelogram. A myelogram
involves injecting radioactive
iodine that collects in the thyroid
may then cause problems.
Some studies have also linked
lithium, a drug often prescribed
for manic -depression, with
thyroid imbalance.
From 1920 to 1950, radiation
was a popular treatment for
tonsillitis, acne and some
hearing impairments.
Unfortunately, these treatments
' exposed the thyroid gland to
harmful radiation. individuals
who received such radiation
therapy have a two to seven
percent chance of developing
thyroid cancer, compared to a
0.0004 percent chance in the
general population. "
Anyone who suspects an over -
or underactive thyroid should
consult a physician for a T3 and
T4 test to measure the amount of
thyroid hormones, thyroxin and
triiothyronine, in the blood, and
a TSH test to measure the
thyroid stimulating hormone
secreted by the pituitary gland.
These tests are performed on a
blood sample.
Hypothyroidism is relatively
simple to treat. To supplement
the body's own, hormone
production, the doctor prescribes
a synthetic thyroid hormone
called Synthyroid (levothyroxine
sodium),
Side effects from the drug are
uncommon. The doctor should
repeat the;tiiyrbid function tests
several times after prescribing
the medication to make sure the
dosage is correct. Most people
with hypothyroidism take
supplemental thyroid hormones
indefinitely and require only
yearly checkups.
Hyperthyroidism is more
complicated to treat. Some
physicians prescribe medications
to block the production of excess
thyroid hormones. But in cases
where the thyroid cannot be
controlled by medication, part of
the gland must be removed or
destroyed.
To destroy part of the thyroid,
you swallow a medication
containing radioactive iodine.
The iodine concentrates in the
thyroid and literally "burns out"
some of the tissue. The amount
of thyroid tissued destroyed is
controlled ,by the iodine dosage.
This "surgery by
radioactivity" is a one-time
treatment and is relatively
inexpensive compared to
traditional surgery. However, if
you plan to have children,
exposure to radioactivity may
slightly increase the risk of birth
defects.
Surgery is the other alternative
to decreasing thyroid activity.
While there is no risk of birth
defects, the higher -priced
surgery carries a small risk of
death from anesthesia.
Minor thyroid imbalances can
cause severe problems in
personality, growth, vitality and
overall health that are easily
misdiagnosed. But with
awareness of the signs and
sym p,, tarns of e thyroid -
malfunction, thyroid sufferers
can work with their physicians
to ensure the thyroid maintains
its all-important delicate balance.
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