FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARСH 5, 2020 • HEALTH • THE QUEENS COURIER 47
health
What you need to know about your thyroid
Michele Adams is quick to say, “I don’t
want to throw anyone under the bus,” but
it took her being hit by a car for her thyroid
disease to fi nally be diagnosed.
Adams has always been an active person,
but for a few years, she had felt tired and
had a constant tightness in her throat. She
was diagnosed with post-nasal drip but did
not feel relief aft er a year of treatment.
“I thought this exhaustion, hoarse voice
and lump in my throat were just my new
normal,” Adams said. “I’d accepted it, and I
shouldn’t have.”
During this time, Adams went on a bike
ride in northeastern New Jersey - something
she still does frequently. However,
on this day, Adams was struck by a car as
she was biking.
Th e incident resulted in an MRI scan.
Adams was not seriously injured, but doctors
noticed something unexpected. Th e
scan revealed nodules in her lower neck,
which suggested thyroid disease?.
“I now realize I had symptoms of a thyroid
condition for years,” Adams said. “I’d
had it up to here with not feeling like
myself. Once I had the MRI results, I knew
to seek out a thyroid expert, and I found an
endocrinologist.”
What you probably do not know about
your thyroid
Th yroid disease is more common than
diabetes and heart disease, but more than
half of Americans with thyroid disease
are unaware, according to the American
Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
(AACE). Th is lack of awareness can endanger
a person’s health and well-being.
Th e thyroid is a butterfl y-shaped gland
located low in the front of the neck below
the Adam’s apple. It produces thyroid hormones
that infl uence almost every cell, tissue
and organ in the human body.
Common signs of thyroid diseases
include:
• Unexplained changes in weight
• Depression, anxiety or feelings of irritability
• Changes in memory or ability to concentrate
• Joint or muscle pain or weakness
• Fatigue or trouble sleeping
• Fast or irregular heartbeat
• Irregular menstrual periods
Cheryl Rosenfeld, D.O., is a thyroid
expert and AACE member. Rosenfeld is
also the physician who treated Adams’ thyroid
disease.
“If the thyroid does not function correctly,
it can aff ect every possible aspect of
a person’s life,” Rosenfeld said. “Remember
that thyroid conditions can cause changes
in mental health, including depression. I’ve
also spoken to patients who’ve experienced
an inability to concentrate, which seriously
aff ected their performance at work.”
Several disorders can arise if the thyroid
produces too much hormone (hyperthyroidism)
or not enough (hypothyroidism).
Other thyroid diseases include:
• Nodules
• Th yroid cancer
• Graves’ disease
• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
• Th yroid eye disease
Undiagnosed thyroid issues
can also place a person at
increased risk for heart disease,
osteoporosis, infertility and
other serious conditions.
What to do if you are ‘up
to here’ with not feeling like
yourself
“Once I was placed on
treatment for Hashimoto’s
and hypothyroidism, my life
changed completely,” Adams
said. “My throat is no longer
sore, and I’m able to go out with
my family or spend time at the
gym without feeling completely
drained of energy.”
Th e fi rst step to ensure your
thyroid gland functions properly
is to speak with a health
care provider about your symptoms
and whether a thyroid test
is needed.
An endocrinologist is a specially
trained doctor who is
qualifi ed to diagnose and treat
hormone-related diseases and
conditions, including thyroid
cancer and all other diseases
related to the thyroid gland.
Visit thyroidawareness.com
to learn more about thyroid
health.
— Courtesy of Family
Features
/WWW.QNS.COM
/thyroidawareness.com
