Thyroid Disorders
The major role of the thyroid gland is to produce thyroid hormone, which controls the metabolic rate.
Thyroid disorders are very common in the United States with over 20 million people under treatment.
An estimated 2 million others have an undiagnosed thyroid problem.
Women are especially vulnerable, and if they have a personal or family history of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, pernicious anemia, prematurely graying hair, vitiligo or other autoimmune disease, there is a greater risk of thyroid malfunction (25%).
- Hyperthyroidism or overactive thyroid is a disease which often presents with nervousness, palpitations, heat intolerance and weight loss.
It is estimated that there are approximately 1 million patients in the United States suffering from Graves' disease, the most common form of hyperthyroidism.
Fifteen percent of these cases are seen in the general population over the age of sixty.
- Hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid is due to an insufficient amount of thyroid hormone.
Patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the most common cause of an underactive thyroid, experience fatigue, weight gain, difficulty concentrating and depression.
At least 10% of women in the United States will have signs of a failing thyroid by the age of fifty.
At age 60, 17% of women and 8% of men have signs of a failing thyroid.
- Women and thyroid disease
Thyroid disease is up to eight times more common in women than in men.
At least 8% of women will have thyroid dysfunction following pregnancy.
Thyroid dysfunction in the post partum period may play a role in some cases of postpartum depression.
Additionally, thyroid disease may contribute to infertility if it is not recognized and treated.
- Thyroid nodules
Approximately 5% of the population worldwide have goiter or benign thyroid enlargement.
Patients who have had x-ray treatment to the head and neck regions for conditions such as acne, thymus enlargement, recurrent tonsillitis, chronic ear infections and birthmarks are at a greater risk for thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer.
Most thyroid nodules are harmless, but some may produce excess thyroid hormone, and others may be cancerous.
There are over 30,000 new cases of thyroid cancer each year and the incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing faster than any other cancer in the United States.
Surgery is usually curative.
- Neonatal thyroid disease
One in every 5,000 babies born in the United States suffers from thyroid disease.
Most of these patients are detected in infancy through a routine blood screening.
Those cases which are not treated with thyroid hormone within three months may result in complications such as mental deficiency, inadequate growth, or abnormal development.
Affected children must continue thyroid treatment and examinations throughout their life.
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