MEDICAL SURFARI: COULD IT BE YOUR THYROID?

We all get tired when we overwork, but for some this feeling occurs daily and may be the result of a failing thyroid gland. If you feel stressed, anxious, or revved-up it may be because your keeping too fast and furious a lifestyle or it could be that your thyroid is overactive.

The thyroid gland is a bow tie-shaped gland that rests just below the Adam's apple in the front of your neck. It is a gland that makes and stores hormones that determine the rate at which your body uses energy. These hormones regulate our heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and they affect virtually every body tissue by increasing protein production and oxygen consumption. Thyroid hormones also help children grow and develop.

The pituitary gland, a small gland within the brain, sends hormone signals to the thyroid telling it whether to make more or less thyroid hormone. About 200 million people in the world and nearly 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease; however, many times this goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. The thyroid gland may produce too much hormone (hyperthyroidism), which causes your body to use up energy faster than it should, or too little hormone (hypothyroidism), which causes your body to use energy slower than it should. The thyroid may also become inflamed (thyroiditis), or enlarged (goiter), or it may develop one or more lumps (nodules).

Most thyroid disorders are treatable. Untreated thyroid disease can produce serious medical problems. Sometimes, in the slowly developing initial phases of these conditions, they may be difficult to diagnose.

If your thyroid function is too low, it may cause you to feel tired, depressed or lethargic. You may notice feeling chilly when others don't or you may notice dry skin, brittle falling hair, slow growing brittle fingernails, constipation, leg cramps, and sore muscles. Women often have heavier periods and men may experience a loss of interest in sex.

If your thyroid function is too high, you may feel anxious or irritable or too hot when others are comfortable. You may notice more sweating, muscle weakness, frequent or loose bowel movements, or faster heart rate. Women may have lighter periods or may have difficulty becoming pregnant. In men, there may be a loss of interest in sex.

January is Thyroid Awareness Month. If you are aware of some of the clues to a malfunctioning thyroid, you will be better prepared to discuss your concerns with your physician. If your physician feels that it is necessary, a quick and simple blood test can determine with certainty whether your thyroid function is normal.

World Wide Web Resources

The following are reliable and current resources to learn more about the thyroid and its diseases and disorders.

Healthtouch Online for better health

http://www.healthtouch.com/level 1/leaflets/fta/fta006.htm

This site has information provided by the Thyroid Foundation of America Inc. There is specific information about each of the various thyroid disorders and types of thyroid cancer.

The Thyroid Society -- FAQ

http://the-thyroid-society.org/faq/tableoc.html

This site is arranged in a table of contents format with shortcuts to quickly retrieve specific information on frequently asked questions (FAQ) ranging from "What is the Thyroid?" to questions on surgery and drugs used to treat this disease.

Health Guides on Thyroid Disease

http://home.ican.net/~thyroid/English/Guides.html

This site contains a series of informative pamphlets designed for lay readership. Written by or under the supervision of the Thyroid Foundation of Canada's medical advisers or other specialists in the field of thyroidology, it contains an overview of the main thyroid conditions and should be used for education and should not be relied upon for personal diagnosis, treatment, or any other medical purposes. Consult your personal physician for answers on individual diagnosis and treatment options of thyroid disease.

Dr. Scott Gibbs is a neurosurgeon and editor-in-chief of Mosby's Medical Surfari. You may e-mail questions to him at drgibbs@semissourian.com or write in care of the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63701.