Thyroid Disorders: When Hormone Production Slows Down or Revs Up Normal Body Function
Cancer of the Thyroid
Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s recent diagnosis of thyroid cancer has put the spotlight on this disease, which affects about 20,000 people in the U.S. each year. Here are some facts you should know:
- The key sign of thyroid cancer is a lump or nodule, in the thyroid. You may see this lump in your neck or your doctor may detect the nodule during a routine physical exam.
- Most thyroid cancers do not cause any symptoms, but some patients complain about jaw, neck or ear pain. Depending on the size and location of a nodule, some patients may experience difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath or hoarseness.
- Most thyroid cancers are easily curable with surgery, and effective and well-tolerated treatments are available, as well.
- Actor Joe Piscopo is a thyroid cancer survivor, and singer Rod Stewart had a non-malignant nodule removed from his thyroid several years ago. Other famous people who were treated for non-cancerous thyroid disease include former President George Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush, supermodel Kim Alexis, actress Faith Ford, and athletes Muhammed Ali, Gail Devers and Carl Lewis.
January 2005 — How is your body functioning? bemiDo you feel like you're idling too low — or that you're too revved up? If you’re a woman, a malfunctioning thyroid may be to blame for either condition.
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland situated at the base of the neck just under the Adam’s apple. It produces hormones that regulate the body’s metabolism, temperature and heart rate. When the thyroid functions properly, we hardly know it’s there. When it malfunctions, however, it can dramatically affect the way we feel and look.
Underactive Thyroid
The most common type of thyroid disorder is hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid. This is when the thyroid makes too little of the thyroid hormone that the body needs to function properly. With this disease, the body’s immune system thinks the thyroid is an invader and tries to destroy it. When damage is done to the thyroid, it can swell, becoming what is called a goiter.
According to the National Women’s Health Information Center, being female, over 40 years of age, having a close family member with thyroid disease and recently having a baby are all factors that increase the chance of developing hypothyroidism.
Sign of hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, include:
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Mood swings
- Forgetfulness
- Hoarse voice
- Dry, coarse skin and hair
- Feeling chilly, especially when others are comfortable
- Increased cholesterol
- Constipation
- Heavy or irregular periods, or difficulty getting pregnant
- Enlarged thyroid (goiter)
Hypothyroidism is treated with thyroid replacement therapy, where a synthetic hormone is taken daily to increase the amount of thyroid hormone in the body.
Overactive Thyroid
Hyperthyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland is overactive, creating more thyroid hormone than the body needs. In older women, hyperthyroidism may result in a thyroid nodule, or a lump in the neck where thyroid cells group together.
In young women, Graves’ disease most often causes hyperthyroidism. This disease tricks the body’s immune system into making too much thyroid hormone, causing the thyroid to become enlarged and overactive.
Signs of hyperthroidism, or overactive thyroid, include:
- Weight loss
- Feeling irritable and nervous
- Tremors and weakness in muscles
- Irregular menstrual periods
- Enlarged thyroid (goiter)
- Troubled sleep patterns
- Eye irritations or impaired vision
- Feeling too hot, especially when others are comfortable
- Palpitations or rapid heart rate
- Frequent bowel movements
Treatment for hyperthyroidism aims to decrease the amount of thyroid hormone in the body. This is done through medications which block the formation and release of thyroid hormone, or through radioactive iodine treatment, which destroys the overactive thyroid tissue.
Surgery may be performed to remove part or all of the thyroid gland, but is typically performed to remove a nodule rather than to treat an overactive thyroid.
Check It Out
Have your physician check out any symptoms or abnormalities that may suggest hypo- or hyperthyroidism. Testing for thyroid function usually requires only a blood test. If a lump or nodule is present, a physician may take a sample of thyroid tissue for examination in a relatively painless procedure called fine needle aspiration biopsy.
According to the American Thyroid Association, almost all problems associated with an abnormal thyroid can be corrected and the symptoms reversed. With early detection and proper treatment, most patients go on to lead normal and productive lives.
If you are concerned about your risk for thyroid disorder, speak to your physician. For referral to a physician, call Memorial Physician Referral Service toll-free
at
(800) 944-DOCS.