Expert guide on Thyroid disorders

This article has been written by Sanskrity Sinha for METROMELA.COM

Dr.Ganapathi.B, head of the Department Of Endocrinology at St. John's Medical College and Hospital, BangaloreAccording to research, over 4.2 crore Indians suffer from thyroid related disorders. Most of the time, these disorders remain undiagnosed and untreated leading to unchecked obesity, depression, fatigue, high cholesterol, infertility and more. MetroMela spoke with Dr. Ganapathi B, head of the Department Of Endocrinology at St. John's Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore, to understand the diagnosis, disorders and treatment related to Thyroid.


What is Thyroid

Thyroid is a small gland located in the throat region, just under the Adam’s apple. It regulates the body’s metabolism by releasing thyroid hormones.


Related disorders

Thyroid hormones facilitate the functioning of the heart and overall body mechanism. When the level of thyroid hormones is less it is called hypothyroidism and when it is more it is called hyperthyroidism. Both the conditions could have a bearing on the heart rate, cholesterol level, body weight, energy level, muscle strength, skin condition, menstrual regularity and memory function.


Symptoms

Hypothyroidism is often not even suspected. The symptoms of hypothyroidism are fatigue, weight gain, intolerance to cold, sleepiness, depression, enlarged thyroid (goiter), dry and coarse skin and hair, hoarse voice, loss of memory and constipation. Hyperthyroidism on the other hand causes insomnia, hair loss, intolerance to heat, sweating, weight loss, muscular pains and palpitations.


Who gets affected

Given the fact that one in every 4,000 humans is born without the thyroid gland, hypothyroidism can affect anyone from children to adults to old people. In women, it may cause menstrual irregularity and eventually infertility. Hyperthyroidism  mainly affects pregnant women and older women and is rare in children.


Prevention and cure

Thyroid hormones level in blood can be checked using a simple blood analysis called Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) test. The test helps discover or confirm hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. It enables physicians to identify even mild cases of the diseases before the symptoms appear. Also, if you have a strong family history of thyroid disorders, regular health check-ups are a must. Women above 50 must undergo the test on a regular basis as chances of hypothyroidism are 20 per cent more in them. Once diagnosed, the condition can be treated with medication. Hyperthyroidism is treated either with medication or surgery in extreme cases.


This article has been written by Sanskrity Sinha for METROMELA.COM

1 comments:

I bought desiccated bovine thyroid with the hopes of speeding up a possibly lethargic thyroid gland in order to lose weight. I took it for a few weeks and noticed great improvement. I found that light exercise and a positive outlook on life sped my metabolism back again to normal.

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