How to detect a thyroid problem

W hy is th e thyroid gland important? For three reasons: 1) Thyroid disorders are so common. 2) These diseases are easily missed by doctors. 3) The thyroid controls your whole body.

Women are affected much more than men. In fact, one out of eight women (12.5% of the female population) will develop a thyroid problem in their lifetime. Well, that’s millions of Filipinos.

The thyroid gland acts like the captain of the ship. It is like the accelerator of the car, making the body work slower or faster depending on the hormones it produces or the body’s so-called metabolism.

Because of these reasons, we should all be thankful to our thyroid glands. However, should this tiny organ falter for whatever reason, we could have a medical disaster in our hands, something patients and doctors should know about.

Here are five quick questions to test your knowledge on the thyroid gland.

1. Where is the thyroid gland located? a. In front of the neck b. In the stomach c. In the brain d. Above the kidneys Answer: a. Your thyroid gland sits in front of the neck, just above the collarbones.

2. What is the shape of the thyroid gland? a. Like a cross b. Like a butterfly c. Round or oval-shaped d. Like a snake Answer: b. It is like a butterfly in shape.

3. How much does the thyroid gland weigh? a. A half pound b. Two ounces c. Less than an ounce d. 4 ounces Answer: c. It weighs less than an ounce.

4. The thyroid gland controls what parts of the body? a. All cells b. Your body’s metabolism c. How you feel d. All of the above Answer: d. The thyroid gland produces two types of hormones, T3 and T4, which determine how fast the body’s organs should be running, and thus control all cells.

5. Which doctor specializes in diseases of the thyroid gland? a. Endocrinologist b. Oncologist c. Neurologist d. Gastroenterologist Answer: a. Endocrinologists are the thyroid experts. The thyroid gland is like the accelerator of the car, making the body work slower or faster depending on the hormones it produces or the body’s so-called

metabolism.

IS YOUR THYROID HYPERACTIVE?

If your thyroid is overactive, you could have a wide variety of symptoms like palpitations, sweating, diarrhea, nervousness, tremors, insomnia, irregular menses, and loss of weight. This disease is called hyperthyroidism or Graves’ Disease. If this is not diagnosed early, the eyes can bulge out, the heart fails, and the patient can die.

Diseases of the thyroid are so easily missed. Sometimes, it’s just a slight increase in heart rate or a little feeling of being hot. If you have menopausal symptoms and are still under 50 years old, you need to have your thyroid checked.

IS YOUR THYROID UNDERACTIVE?

Going to the opposite problem, if the thyroid is underactive, we call this hypothyroidism. The complaints of people with hypothyroidism are non-specific. They experience fatigue, poor memory, constipation, high cholesterol, loss of hair, dry skin, weight gain, aching muscles, and joint pains.

As doctors, we find it terribly frustrating and irritating to miss a diagnosis. No one is perfect. Doctors, being human, can’t get a perfect test score every time. And thyroid diseases are the Achilles’ heel of medical diagnosis. Many doctors have been stumped by unusual patient complaints, only to find out that the thyroid gland is the culprit.

TESTING THE THYROID GLAND

It’s easy to test the thyroid gland. We just request a blood test, called thyroid function tests that include Free T3, Free T4 and TSH levels. So why don’t we just test everyone? Well, because it costs close to P1,000 to test.

We interpret the results as follows. If T3 and T4 are high and TSH is low, then you’ve got hyperthyroidism (fast or overactive thyroid). Your thyroid hormones, T3 and T4, are high, thus your TSH is inhibited. Urgent treatment is necessary with drugs like Methimazole or PTU.

For the opposite case of having a low T3 and T4 with a high TSH, this means you’ve got hypothyroidism (slow or underactive thyroid). The thyroid hormones in the body are low and patients feel slow. Treatment is thyroid hormone replacement, like Levothyroxine (Eltroxin), given for life.

Another useful test is the thyroid scan, which detects thyroid nodules and possible cancers. Your endocrinologist will tell you what other tests you need.

I hope this article has enlightened you on the functions and disorders of the thyroid gland.