Vim & Vigor - Summer 2011 - Parrish Medical Center - (Page 45)

HYPERTHYROIDISM INSPECT IT: During a physical exam, your doctor may detect an enlarged thyroid gland and a rapid pulse. Other signs include moist, smooth skin; a tremor in your ﬁngertips; fast reﬂexes; and enlarged or bulging eyes if you have Grave’s disease (the most common type of hyperthyroidism). Your doctor will conﬁrm the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism with laboratory tests that measure T trouble—unhealthy levels of TSH, T4 and triiodothyronine (T3) in your blood. When the thyroid gland is overactive, TSH levels will be low and the thyroid hormone level in the blood will be high. DON’T VEER OFF COURSE: At ﬁrst, you might feel overjoyed that you can now zip your skinny jeans without hitting the gym. “Patients with hyperthyroidism have told me, ‘I decided to try to lose some weight and I went on a diet, and this diet worked better than any other diet I’ve tried,’ ” Farwell says. What’s Your Weight Fate? You’re packing a few extra pounds—beyond the “freshman 15” from your college years and the “holiday handful” from festivities spanning Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. It would be easy to blame your weight gain on your thyroid, even though your doctor has handed you a clean bill of health. But new research from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute reveals there might be a grain of truth in that. Researchers found that a “normal” thyroid test score may mean you’re susceptible to weight gain. Your thyroid produces a metabolism hormone called TSH; a TSH reading between 0.5 and 5.0 is considered normal. According to the study, women with TSH levels closer to 5.0 gained four pounds more on average over 3.5 years than women with lower TSH levels. If your TSH level is inching close to 5.0 but still in the normal range, endocrinologist Theodore C. Friedman, M.D., recommends the thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibody test. The presence of these antibodies in your blood may reveal an autoimmune disorder, such as Hashimoto’s disease, the most common cause of hypothyroidism. HYPERTHYROIDISM CAUTION DODGE IT While you can overhaul your diet and exercise regimen to dodge diabetes and heart disease, avoiding a thyroid disorder is not so clear-cut. Farwell and Friedman recommend eating a balanced diet. Iodine is essential for the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones. If you’re concerned about whether you’re getting enough iodine in your food (eggs and sea products are a good source), take a daily multivitamin that contains the nutrient, but steer clear from kelp tablets and other supplements high in iodine. “A lot of iodine can make both an overactive and underactive thyroid worse,” Friedman warns. INTERACTIVE Track your thyroid disorder symptoms and treatments and keep a journal or diary you can e-mail or print to take to your doctor visits at medhelp.org/ land/thyroid-hormones-tracker. Map Your Thyroid Symptoms with an App Vim & Vigor · SUMM ER 2011 45 http://www.medhelp.org/land/thyroid-hormones-tracker http://www.medhelp.org/land/thyroid-hormones-tracker

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2011 - Parrish Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2011 - Parrish Medical Center
Contents
Tasty Tips
Opening Thoughts
Community Calendar
What’s New?
Navigating the Healthcare Waters
Girl Talk
Say What?
Action Plan
Like This? Try That!
On the Cover
A Day in the Life of Your Heart
Unexpected Heroes
Get in Gear
A Real Lifesaver
Extras, Extras
Community Health
Thriving With Diabetes
Foundation Focus
Ask the Expert

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2011 - Parrish Medical Center