Think Thyroid

January is Thyroid Awareness Month, and to help promote public awareness of the increasingly common -- but frequently undiagnosed and misunderstood -- problem of thyroid disease, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) has urged the public to be more aware of thyroid disease, particularly during the life stages when it's most likely to appear.

According to researchers, as many as 20 million Americans have thyroid conditions, with an estimated 13 million of them as yet undiagnosed, according to recent research.

In a press release issued by the association in January 2001, AACE surveys found that less than fifteen percent of Americans knew that the period after childbirth (postpartum period), menopause, or over 60 years of age were key life stages when thyroid disease often strikes.

To combat this lack of awareness, AACE has launched a campaign, titled "The Neck's Time is Now," to educate Americans about the critical life points when people are at increased risk for developing a thyroid condition.

According to the AACE, Americans need to "think thyroid" and see their doctor for a TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) blood test:

• For a pregnant woman's first prenatal visit
• Following pregnancy if postpartum depression strikes
• If a child's growth or behavior patterns change
• If mood swings and other symptoms of menopause persist despite hormone replacement therapy
• When fatigue, depression and forgetfulness plague older Americans.

Additionally, other experts would add that some other key triggers that should cause a person to "think thyroid" would include:

• When experiencing rapid weight changes with no corresponding change in diet or exercise
• If having serious difficulty losing weight, despite proper diet and exercise
• When there is difficulty breastfeeding
• When experiencing treatment-resistant high cholesterol or treatment-resistant depression

If you're wondering whether you have a thyroid problem, you may be confused, because the symptoms of thyroid conditions are similar to the symptoms of other health problems. But it's dangerously easy -- and far too common -- for you or your doctor to explain away thyroid symptoms as something else. In a five-minute recorded audio presentation available by phone through Keen.com, you can listen to Mary Shomon review various risk factors for thyroid disease, along with the symptoms -- many of them easily overlooked, or attributed to other causes -- to help you get properly diagnosed, treated, and on your way to better health. For more information, click here.

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck, just below and behind the Adam's apple and above the collarbone. Left untreated, thyroid disease can cause serious long-term complications such as elevated cholesterol levels, heart disease, depression, obesity, infertility, and osteoporosis.

In their press release, AACE President Paul Jellinger, M.D., F.A.C.E., said, "For the millions of Americans affected by thyroid disease, it is important that they learn to recognize and evaluate the subtle signs and symptoms that can be significant markers of thyroid disease for themselves or for a loved one."

Detecting Thyroid Disease

According to the AACE survey, almost 60 percent of Americans have never been tested for a thyroid condition. And 85 percent of survey participants were not familiar with the most common test to measure thyroid function, the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test. The TSH is a blood test that can -- when properly interpreted-- detect changes in thyroid function that indicate the potential of thyroid conditions. For help, see: [link url=http://thyroid.about.com/c/ht/00/07/How_Interpret_Thyroid_Test0962932960.htm]How to Interpret Your TSH Tests[/link]. Until recently, the conventional practice has been to only treat those patients whose TSH is outside the normal range of 0.5 to 5.0/5.5 uU/ml. In what is a [link url=http://thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/aa012301a.htm]fairly radical reversal of previous doctrine[/link], the AACE press statement has said: "Even though a TSH level between 3.0 and 5.0 uU/ml is in the normal range, it should be considered suspect since it may signal a case of evolving thyroid underactivity." This represents a departure from the common position that any TSH level within normal range constitutes normal thyroid function, and therefore does not warrant diagnosis or treatment. This also greatly widens the number of people who ultimately may be diagnosed and treated for borderline hypothyroidism.