7 Myths and Facts About Your Thyroid

According to a recent report by the Buenos Aires Economic News Network in Argentina, according to data from the World Health Organization, about 750 million people worldwide suffer from thyroid disease, and more than half of them do not know that they are ill.

The thyroid gland regulates the body's energy production and metabolism. Located in the center of the neck, it produces, releases, and stores thyroid hormones, which are secreted into the bloodstream and then carried to all body tissues. The thyroid gland helps the body use energy and controls body temperature and heart rate, so it is key to the proper functioning of the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs.

Thyroid disease is common but sometimes goes unnoticed because its symptoms are confused with other conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or heart disease.

"The endocrine system is very important because it is the system that regulates glandular function, and the function of each gland is interconnected with the other glands. That's why I often talk about the hormonal orchestra, and the conductor of the orchestra is the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and then the gland of the target organ, which is the thyroid gland, and these three glands form a basic circulatory axis," said nutritionist Dr. Virginia Busnelli.

Therefore, the thyroid gland is considered to be the gland that sets the body's biological clock. "If too much thyroid hormone is produced, the body's cells will work faster than normal (hyperthyroidism), and if too little thyroid hormone is produced (hypothyroidism), the body's cells and organs will work slower than normal," the expert explained.

To help understand the gland's function and dispel unfounded myths, Busnelli shared with SciDev.Net several thyroid myths and facts:

Can both men and women be affected by thyroid disease?

It’s true. Thyroid disease affects both men and women. While underactive (hypothyroidism) and overactive (hyperthyroidism) glands are more common in women, it can affect men, too. In fact, men are more likely to put off seeing an endocrinologist because they think the health issue won’t affect them.

2. Can thyroid disease occur at any time in life?

Thyroid disease can affect newborns (congenital hypothyroidism), children, adolescents, adults, and older adults, although the risk of developing these conditions does increase with age. An estimated 20% of women over 60 have some form of thyroid disease, and both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are more common in women than in men in this age group.

3. Can thyroid problems occur after trauma?

Some patients ask, for example, whether these diseases "wake up" after the death of a loved one or close friend. It must be taken into account that emotions are of fundamental importance in the development of diseases, mainly affecting the disorders of the immune and hormonal systems. Therefore, the pain caused by the death of a loved one or other reasons, on top of the family predisposition, can accelerate the emergence of any "dormant" or silent disease.

4. Will hypothyroidism make people fat while hyperthyroidism makes people thin?

Because of their high metabolic rate, many people with hyperthyroidism will experience weight loss. This likelihood increases with the severity of the hyperthyroidism. In general, the more severe the thyroid disorder, the greater the weight loss. Weight loss is also seen in other situations where thyroid hormone is elevated, such as during the toxic phase of thyroiditis or when people are taking very high doses of thyroid hormone.

However, since increased appetite is also shown in hyperthyroidism, some patients may not experience weight loss or may even gain weight due to increased intake. Therefore, it can be concluded that weight does not always increase and decrease linearly in patients with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, respectively.

5. Hypothyroidism can reduce sexual desire

Hypothyroidism can cause a number of symptoms in the sexual area. This refers to so-called sexual dysfunction, a change in sexual desire that can cause distress and create difficulties in relationships.

For women, hypothyroidism may cause decreased libido, lack of passion, poor lubrication, pain and discomfort during intercourse, and inability to orgasm. One problem is that only a small percentage of patients ask their doctors about their private concerns, and health professionals often don't ask about them. However, it's important to consider these symptoms because they will often resolve with proper treatment of the thyroid disorder.

6.Should people with thyroid disease avoid eating certain foods?

This idea probably comes from the fact that patients who have received radioactive iodine therapy should avoid iodine-containing foods. Iodine is used in animal care and feeding. Therefore, it may be present in varying amounts in foods and drinks. Only these patients need to avoid foods that contain iodine, including fortified salt, cereals, milk and other dairy products, meat, poultry, seafood, and some fish and seaweed. No other thyroid disease requires limiting the intake of specific foods.

7. Is thyroid cancer usually aggressive and fast-growing?

Thyroid cancer is the most common tumor of the endocrine system. These tumors can vary in aggressiveness and have varying cure rates. Currently, more cases are being diagnosed due to the increased request for thyroid ultrasound as part of routine health checks. However, despite the increase in cases, the mortality rate has fallen by more than 50% in recent decades, and the prognosis for most patients who are treated correctly is generally very good.

(Source: Reference News)