The role of the thyroid in your health
The thyroid is a small and powerful gland that plays a large role in your overall health. Tonight Healthy living looks at what a malfunction of your thyroid can mean for your health.
Marleni Cuellar, Reporting
The thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland located in the front of the neck. But although small, the main function of this little gland is a very important one. Internist, Dr. Daniel Godinez, explains the function and associated disorders of the thyroid.
Dr. Daniel Godinez, Internist
“The function being that it controls the speed at which your body works, that is to say that it controls the body’s metabolism.”
The thyroid gland conducts this function by producing hormones that control the use of energy by the body. And when this gland doesn’t function as it should it can cause health problems.
Dr. Daniel Godinez
“Whenever we talk about the thyroid disease we think of three different aspects of areas. Number one, which is the most common, is whenever the thyroid malfunctions whether because it works too fast too much or it works too little that is to say too slow and so we have those two important conditions. The second one when we talk about thyroid disease is when the thyroid gets enlarged and grows abnormally big and you have what is called a goiter. In some goiters the thyroid can still work normally and some goiters it works too much or too little. And finally when we talk about thyroid disease we think of cancer of the thyroid, which fortunately is not very common.”
The more common disorder of the thyroid gland is associated with production of the thyroid hormones. Hyperthyroidism is when there is overactive thyroid that produces too much hormone and the underactive thyroid that produces too little or too slow is hypothyroidism.
Dr. Daniel Godinez
“In hyperthyroidism as we said before the metabolism increases a lot and so the person is really hyper. For example, the person start getting shaky, very agitated, restless the person start losing weight very fast. At times you can find that there is goitre also and also it is possible to have hyperthyroidism without goitre. In a few cases the patients start developing bulgy eyes and that is when the hyperthyroidism is already advanced. Up to now most of the causes that lead to hyperthyroidism are not really known. However, we know a few things about this disease. For example, hyperthyroidism is a disease that happens mainly in young people, although it has been found in children and the elderly; but it’s mainly in young people. Another thing we have noticed with hyperthyroidism is that it is much more common in women. For every man that develops hyperthyroidism there is about ten women who develop this same disease.”
The symptoms of hypothyroidism are the exact opposite.
Dr. Daniel Godinez
“The metabolism slows down. So the person tends to the slow side. We can see the person being very slow physically and mentally. The person gets tired very easily start gaining weight and at times he get swollen all over. Two other things we see in hyperthyroidism is the tongue tends to get very thick and big and also the hair gets dry and tends to drop off. It is caused by destruction of the thyroid gland whether its medication which at times can cause it or also an immune disease that causes destruction of the gland.”
Diagnosis of a malfunction of the thyroid is relatively easy as a simple blood test can determine how much thyroid hormone your body is producing. Both Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are also very easy to treat.
Dr. Daniel Godinez
“Treatment is very simple. It is just to substitute the thyroid hormone that is deficient. Usually because the hyperthyroidism is a chronic condition and one which is irreversible so need to take tablet for the rest of the life. In hyperthyroidism, that is a little trickier because there are several options of treatment. There are drugs also that can block the production of thyroid hormones and therefore the patient will little by little become normal again. However, also you have to stay on the treatment for a long time. One of the things we have seen with hyperthyroidism is that the patients have the disease for at least two years so it’s a long term treatment. Other options of treatment will be some selected patients, surgery in which part of the thyroid is taken out. That only leaves just a small portion of thyroid functioning there; enough to keep the patient going. Finally, there is one more variety of treatment option, which is the use of a special kind of iodine, which is radioactive iodine and that is like putting a little atomic bomb in the thyroid to destroy it.”
Untreated thyroid disorders can have greater implications for your general health.
Dr. Daniel Godinez
“If a patient who is hypothyroid goes long enough—and that may take months or even years—because the symptoms that happen with the diseases do not appear overnight; they are progressive and slow. But hypothyroid left without treatment long enough will die. The metabolism can become so slow that the patient just stops functioning. In hyperthyroidism, you don’t die, even if untreated but they may stay symptomatic for some time. They will stay nervous, shaky, losing weight and probably some patients are losing weight with no explanation; in particular women who may have this condition. Occasionally it can be so sever that the patient ends up in the hospital for urgent treatment. Thyroid will work well as long as you have a balanced diet. We know that for the thyroid to function we need one substance that is iodine.”
