About Thyroid Disease
with Dr. Rajeev Jain , endocrinologist with Advanced Healthcare
While anyone can have a thyroid disorder, it is about four times more likely to affect women than men, according to Dr. Rajeev Jain, an endocrinologist at Advanced Healthcare.
The thyroid gland is the body's internal regulator for nearly every metabolic function of the body through the release of thyroid hormones. The most common disorders are hypothyroidism - the underproduction of thyroid hormone, and hyperthyroidism - the overproduction of thyroid hormones.
"If you are in a family where there is thyroid imbalance, you should have a thyroid evaluation," Dr. Jain said, adding that all women over age 65 should have their thyroid and TSH (thyroid stimulating hormones) levels measured.
Symptoms
Hypothyroidism is the more common imbalance. It occurs when the thyroid is producing too little thyroid hormone. This causes a slowing down of the metabolic rate. Symptoms include: weight gain, feeling cold and tired, dry skin, coarse and thinning hair or hair loss, constipation, poor memory and depression.
Hyperthyroidism develops when the thyroid gland releases excessive hormones, revving up the metabolism above the normal levels. Dr. Jain noted that symptoms are the opposite of those associated with low thyroid hormone output. These include heart palpitations, fast heart rate, weight loss, agitation, insomnia, excessive sweating, tremors and diarrhea.
Rajeev Jain, M.D.
Advanced Healthcare
There are no natural treatments for thyroid disease. The main risk factor is a family history of thyroid disease.
|
Left untreated it can lead to atrial fibrillation and osteoporosis. Other symptoms may include bulging eyes with blurred, double or dimmed vision and pain evidence of a condition called Graves' disease.
In a mild form of hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland functions at a level slightly below normal. Common symptoms, such as fatigue and memory loss, are often mild or attributed to growing older.
Since the symptoms of thyroid disease are sometimes vague and non-specific, Dr. Jain believes physicians should be vigilant and carefully examine for the presence of thyroid disease, particularly because it can be treated easily and effectively.
Who gets thyroid disease?
While hypothyroidism can affect women of any age, it is more common in older women, with an estimated 10 to 20% of women over age 65 affected by it, as well as pregnant women or women after pregnancy.
For new mothers coping with the demands of an infant, the problem can be particularly troubling, and frequently misdiagnosed or ignored by a woman who might see the symptoms as normal postpartum blues.
"After delivery, about five percent of women develop underactive thyroids for short periods of time. This may be the cause of the so-called postpartum depression," said Dr. Jain.
"Patients may have a little throat pain, but not necessarily. I think all new mothers who develop postpartum depression should have a thyroid test done," Dr. Jain said, adding that the imbalance usually lasts a year or less, can be easily treated during this time, and treatment can be stopped when thyroid levels return to normal.
How is it treated?
All forms of hypothyroidism are treated with synthetic thyroid hormones, the best known being Synthyroid. "There are no natural treatments for thyroid disease," Dr. Jain said. Synthetic hormones come in a variety of dosage levels, based on the weight, ingestion of other medications and presence of other illnesses in patients.
Treatment for hyperthyroidism includes anti-thyroid medications or radioactive iodine. In case of a goiter or nodules, surgery may be performed. One or more of these treatments cause hyperthyroid symptoms to go away, in most cases.
Following treatment, patients should have regular checkups to monitor thyroid levels because hyperthyroidism can develop again or patients may develop hypothyroidism as a result of treatment for hyperthyroidism, Dr. Jain said.
