Dr. Brett Parkinson with Mountain Medical explains.
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With talk show host Oprah Winfrey’s announcement last month that she has struggled with thyroid disease, there has been a surge of interest in the obscure, though vitally important gland, the thyroid is located just below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland which is about the size of a walnut. Don’t let it’s small size fool you though; it is the master gland of your body’s metabolism. If it is not functioning properly it can affect your weight, mood, sex drive and energy level. Virtually every one of your body’s energy needs is regulated by your thyroid. Although Oprah and her recent guest, Christiane Northrup, suggested that thyroid disease is emotionally and mentally driven, it is really a very physical condition. Either you have too much hormone or not enough. Not a difficult concept.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE THYROID GLAND DO?
• The thyroid extracts iodine from the food you eat, using it to manufacture two essential hormones for your body’s metabolism: thyroxine ((T4) and triodothyronine (T3). It takes its cues from the pituitary gland, located in the center of the skull below the brain. When it senses a surplus or lack of thyroid hormone, it sends out its own hormone–thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)–to tell the thyroid what to do. When thyroid hormone levels are too low, TSH goes up; when they are too high, TSH goes down.
WHAT DO THE THYROID HORMONES DO?
• They basically regulate the rate at which your body uses energy, influencing heart rate, body temperature, and metabolism. It also produces calcitonin, a hormone that regulates the amount of calcium in the blood.
WHAT CONDITIONS CONSTITUTE THYROID DISEASE?
• HYPOTHYROIDISM–Deficient hormone levels
• HYPERTHYROIDISM–Excess hormone levels
• THYROID CANCER–Malignant growth
CAUSES OF HYPOTHYROIDISM
• Throiditis–Inflammation of the thyroid gland; can lower amount of hormones produced
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis–Painless, autoimmune disease; leads to underactive gland
• Post-partum thyroiditis–Occurs in 5-9% of women after giving birth; temporary condition
• Iodine deficiency
• Congenital non-functioning thyroid gland–affects 1/4,000 newborns
SYMPTOMS OF HYPOTHYROIDISM
• Sluggishness, fatigue
• Forgetfulness
• Pale, dry skin
• Unexplained weight gain
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Depression
• Impaired cognition
TREATMENT OF HYPOTHYROIDISM
• Synthetic thyroid therapy–levothyroxine (Synthroid)
CAUSES OF HYPERTHRYOIDISM
• Graves’ disease–Entire gland may be affected, producing too much thyroid hormone
• Overactive thyroid nodule
• Thyroidits–may be painful or painless
• Excessive Iodine–Found in a variety of drugs, like amiodarone, and some cough syrups
SYMPTOMS OF HYPERTHYROIDISM
• Irritability, nervousness
• Muscle weakness, tremors
• Unexplained weight loss
• Sleep disturbances
• Rapid heartbeat
• Increased sensitivity to heat
• Sweating
• Enlarged thyroid gland (goiter)
• Vision problems, Graves’ opthalmopathy
TREATMENT OF HYPERTHYROIDISM
• Radioactive Iodine–Causes gland to shrink, symptoms to subside. Takes 3-6 mos.
• Anti-thyroid medications–Prevent gland from producing excess hormones (Tapazole)
• Beta blockers
• Surgery
HOW IS THYROID DISEASE DIAGNOSED
• TSH (most common test; effective as a screening tool as well)
• T4
THYROID CANCER SYMPTOMS
• Lump—in front of neck, just below the Adam’s apple
• Hoarseness
• Difficulty swallowing
• Neck or throat pain
• Swollen lymph nodes in neck
• Trouble breathing
CAUSES OF THYROID CANCER
• Radiation exposure
• Genetic–Specific tests may uncover an inherited tendency for thyroid cancer
DIAGNOSIS OF THYROID CANCER
• Ultrasound
• Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) Biopsy
• Blood Tests
TREATMENT OF THYROID CANCER
• Surgery–Most common surgery is near-total thyroidectomy. Removes almost the entire gland, leaving a rim of tissue around the parathyroid glands to reduce risk of parathyroid damage.
• Thyroid hormone therapy
• Prognosis is usually excellent
THYROID DISEASE FACTS
• Affects women more often than men, 5:!
• Often mistaken for other diseases, secondary to broad spectrum of signs and symptoms
SOME MEDICAL EXPERTS ADVOCATE SCREENING IN WOMEN OVER 50
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ABOUT MOUNTAIN MEDICAL PHYSICIAN SPECIALISTS
Mountain Medical Physician Specialists is a partnership of over 50 board-certified radiology and vascular professionals providing patients along the Northern Wasatch Front with the latest imaging and vascular care available. Mountain Medical professionals specialize in vascular surgery, vascular and interventional radiology, CT, neuroradiology, orthopedic imaging, MRI, women’s imaging, ultrasound, nuclear medicine and body imaging. For more information visit www.mtnmedical.com.
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