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The thyroid gland is an endocrine gland located on the neck below the larynx, the malfunctioning of which negatively affects the functioning of the entire body. Although its size does not exceed the size of a butterfly and weighs no more than 20-25 grams, the overproduction or deficiency of hormones produced by it can have serious health effects. In addition, tumors, including malignant ones, can also appear within this gland.
- Women suffer from thyroid diseases much more often. This does not mean, however, that men are not affected by this problem at all
- Chronic stress plays an important role in the development of thyroid diseases, as well as deficiencies or excesses of minerals, e.g. iodine
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According to statistics, every fifth Pole suffers from thyroid disease. About what to watch out for and how to care for this gland, says Prof. dr hab. Marcin Barczyński, specialist in general and oncological surgery, with European sub-specialization in endocrine surgery from SCM clinic in Krakow.
What should worry us?
It is estimated that already 20 percent. our society has thyroid disease. Most of the cases are in women who have problems with this gland, nine times more often than men! We mainly suffer from hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, or we have tumors within this organ. Fortunately, not all of them are malignant, although major mild charter changes also significantly affect our functioning.
Symptoms of an underactive thyroid include lethargy, a low mood, and a lack of vitality. Patients notice problems with losing weight. Cardiovascular diseases may appear, associated with elevated cholesterol levels, which is associated with a decrease in the concentration of thyroid hormones.
Symptoms of hyperfunction, i.e. excess energy, agitation or heart rhythm disturbances, which mainly affect the elderly, are the complete opposite.
Prof. dr hab. Marcin Barczyński emphasizes that the problem of people struggling with thyroid cancer is that it often does not give any specific symptoms. That is why regular self-examination is recommended.
– If we feel any hardening under our fingers under our fingers or see asymmetry in the mirror, we should consult a specialist for further diagnostics in this direction. If the neoplastic disease is strongly developed, patients notice symptoms such as dyspnoea, hoarseness, and difficulty swallowing. This is mainly due to the large size of the tumor that infiltrates the surrounding structures in the neck – explains the specialist.
Nodular goiter of the thyroid gland is manifested in the fact that the gland is significantly enlarged and there are benign nodules on it. People struggling with this condition feel pressure around the neck, sometimes even have difficulty breathing and swallowing, and also have hoarseness.
See also: SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus may affect thyroid function? There are first studies
How to defend yourself against thyroid disease?
There are many factors that increase your risk of developing thyroid disease. One of the main culprits is chronic stress. It significantly weakens the immune system, which may contribute to greater susceptibility to inflammation. The condition of the gland is also adversely affected by stimulants and various environmental toxins.
Iodine deficiency or load also contributes to thyroid disease. The appropriate dose of iodine, helpful in the prevention of thyroid diseases, is provided by a dietary supplement from Dr Jacob’s Iodine, selenium and vitamin B12. You can buy it at an attractive price on medonetmarket.pl.
Ingredients such as iron, zinc, selenium, B vitamins as well as vitamins C and D are also very important. Obesity and related insulin resistance also predispose to thyroid cancer. This is because adipose tissue acts as a reservoir for fat-soluble toxins that can damage the DNA of cells.
Not without significance is nowadays greater exposure to ionizing radiation (we use X-ray examinations more often), and also for people born before 1986 the Chernobyl disaster.
Therefore, prophylactically, in order to avoid thyroid disease, you should take care of a better lifestyle, i.e. reduce stress, provide yourself with an adequate dose of sleep, eat properly, including supplementing with vitamin D, giving up cigarettes and going out to nature.
Selenium supplementation is also important, as it supports the production of thyroid hormones. For this reason, we recommend selenium tablets from Solgar, available on Medonet Market.
Necessary thyroid tests
The condition of the thyroid gland can be monitored by regular preventive examinations. Prof. dr hab. Marcin Barcz explains that one such test is the concentration of TSH, a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland, which stimulates the production and secretion of thyroid hormones.
– This test detects disturbances in the functioning of the thyroid gland. With the excess of thyroid hormones typical for hyperthyroidism, the concentration of TSH decreases, while with their deficiency – it increases. When the TSH result is abnormal, it is necessary to test the concentration of FT3 and FT4 hormones and further diagnostics.
Another important follow-up examination is the thyroid ultrasound. It helps to visually assess this gland – its size, structure and the presence of any nodules and their phenotype. Today’s devices detect changes of a few millimeters. The lesion that should be of concern is usually of irregular margins, is hypoechoic, and has microcalcifications.
Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) may be necessary if the lesions are suspicious. It consists in aspiration of the cell suspension together with the intercellular fluid from the examined lesion by inserting a thin needle. Therefore, only cells are collected from the patient, not tissue samples, which are then subjected to cytological examination. During the examination, the pathologist assesses their appearance without assessing the tissue structure.
Fine-needle biopsy is usually performed under ultrasound guidance (it is then called fine-needle aspiration biopsy – FNAB), thanks to which it is possible to precisely collect material even from small lesions. Due to the fact that thin needles are used, it is performed without anesthesia. It is a simple and quick examination, usually without complications. The cytological assessment of the material in many cases allows to establish the diagnosis, which in turn helps qualify the patient for a possible surgery – the doctor explains.
See also: Thyroid profile, or what tests will detect thyroid diseases?
Treatment of thyroid diseases
Pharmacological treatment is used in many thyroid diseases. In the case of hypothyroidism, you should constantly take preparations with hormones that the thyroid produces too little. Their dose is determined individually according to the predisposition and stage of the patient’s disease. The first effects of the therapy are visible after a few months. In order to regulate the work of the thyroid gland with hyperfunction, drugs are used to reduce the production of thyroid hormones. In some cases, surgery or radioiodine therapy is necessary.
In the case of nodular lesions, surgery is usually performed. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for thyroid cancer. The patient usually has the entire thyroid gland or sometimes one lobe of it excised, depending on the size of the tumor and the stage of the disease. In the case of papillary or follicular thyroid cancer, sometimes supplementary treatment with radioiodine is also initiated. It is designed to destroy the remains of the thyroid tissue and possible micrometastases. The indications for surgery are also mild large lesions that cause compression symptoms on the airways, reaching beyond the sternum to the mediastinum.
Prof. Barczyński emphasizes that currently the aim is to be minimally invasive in thyroid surgery.
– This is to improve the cosmetic effects of the operations performed. In Poland, surgeries of thyroidectomy through the oral vestibule (TOETVA) are already performed. These types of operations do not leave any scars on the skin, and their effectiveness and safety is the same as in the case of traditional cutting. Of course, the patient must first be properly qualified for such an operation. What’s more, during such an operation, as in the case of traditional procedures, you can use neuromonitoring. It’s a technology that allows you to avoid another very unwanted complication of thyroid surgery – voice problems.
After the thyroidectomy, the patient has to take drugs that replace thyroid hormones for the rest of his life, which the excised gland can no longer produce. Additionally, after the gland resection surgery, regular follow-up examinations should be carried out by an endocrinologist, including monitoring of TSH levels and possible thyroxine dose adjustments.
Asymptomatic, insignificant nodular changes do not always require surgery. Often it is enough to observe them.
Prof. Marcin Barczyński, MD, PhD is a specialist in general and oncological surgery, with a sub-specialization in endocrine surgery at SCM clinic in Krakow. He is the president of the European Society of Endocrinologist Surgeons.