4-20-10

Thyroid Disorders

Thyroid disease is a fact of life for 27 million Americans and more than half of those people remain undiagnosed.

Thyroid disease is a very common disease.  It’s caused when the butter-fly-shaped thyroid gland, located in the neck, is not functioning properly, says Dr. Carmel Fratianni, asociate professor of endocrinology at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.  She explains one of the thyroid disorders.

SOUND BITE:  “. . . probably the most common thyroid disorder is hypothyroidism.  Hypo means under like a hypothermic needle.  So hypothyroidism means an underactive thyroid.  The symptoms of hypothyroidism, which occur when the gland makes too little thyroid hormone, can include feeling run down, fatigued, slow, depressed.”

Other thyroid disorders include an enlargement of the thyroid, called a goiter, and other growths in the neck which can be benign or cancerous. 
Hyperthyroidism is another disease in which the thyroid produces too much hormone, causing anxiety, loss of weight and an irregular heartbeat.  Dr. Fratianni explains the treatment for hyperthyroidism.

SOUND BITE:    “Hyperthyroidism generally is treated in three ways mostly.  We have anti-thyroid drugs which have been around for many, many decades and include drugs such as Methimazole or Tapizol® and PTU or propylthiouracil.  And those drugs block the production of the hormones that are doing the mischief.”

Dr. Fratianni advises people who have symptoms for thyroid disorders to see their primary care physician or endocrinologist for evaluation and possible treatment.

This is Ruth Slottag at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.