(NC) If a member of your family has been diagnosed with hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid gland), chances are one in three that at least one other blood relative may have the disease, according to a recent survey of Canadian adults who had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
Although menopause and aging are risk factors, hypothyroidism may develop at almost any age. Three out of four survey respondents said they were diagnosed before age 55, including one in 14 diagnosed before age 18.
Asked what led them to consult the physician who diagnosed hypothyroidism, only one in 10 respondents said it was because the disease ran in their family.
Fatigue was the reason most often given (54%). One in three said weight gain, while one in five consulted their doctor because of depression, mood swings, and sensitivity to cold – all common signs and symptoms of an under-active thyroid. A routine physical check-up brought the disease to light in 18% of cases.
Butterfly-shaped and located just below the Adam's apple, the thyroid gland produces the hormones that regulate growth, maturation and speed of metabolism.
The American Thyroid Association recommends that all adults be screened for thyroid disorders beginning at age 35 years and every 5 years thereafter. This is done with a simple blood test, the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test. Under-active thyroid usually is treated with a thyroid hormone replacement to return hormone levels to normal.
Untreated thyroid disorders may lead to long-term health complications such as heart disease, osteoporosis, infertility, muscle weakness, and clinical depression. In pregnant women, it may increase the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, learning disabilities and other developmental problems in children.
For more information, visit www.thyroid.ca and www.whatswrongwithme.ca.
