[장익경의 건강 스마트 톡톡] “bloating, diarrhea, constipation… “Is the thyroid gland the cause of unexplained indigestion?”
Editor Ik-kyung Jang[대한경제=장익경 기자] The thyroid gland, located inside the neck, cannot be seen or felt, so it is not easy to detect abnormal symptoms. However, if left untreated, there is a risk of it leading to secondary diseases.
According to the Korean Thyroid Association, patients with hyperthyroidism have a higher risk of atrial fibrillation and flutter (7.7 times higher) and heart failure (2.2 times higher), osteoporosis and osteopenia are 4.4 times higher, and fractures are 4.8 times higher. Additionally, if you have hypothyroidism, the chances of ischemic heart disease (1.8 times), cognitive impairment (4.6 times), and dementia (3.5 times) are much higher.
The causes and age of occurrence of the two diseases are also very different, but the main reason is ‘error in the immune system’. Hyperthyroidism, which is an excessive increase in thyroid hormones, is mainly caused by Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disease, and often appears in people in their 20s to 40s.
In addition, hypothyroidism, which is a deficiency of thyroid hormones below normal, is often caused by primary hypothyroidism caused by chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, and the incidence is high in people in their 50s and 60s.
In order to quickly recognize abnormalities in thyroid hormones, you must pay attention to the body’s ‘discomfort signals’ experienced in daily life. Since both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism have distinct characteristic symptoms, unusual physical discomfort can be a signal.
Hyperactivity disorder mainly presents symptoms associated with increased metabolism. In particular, in the digestive system, frequent stool or diarrhea is likely to occur due to increased intestinal movement. Appetite increases, but weight loss also occurs. △Excessive sweat secretion △increased fatigue △faster pulse △increased body temperature △itching △eye protrusion are also noticeably observed.
On the other hand, hypothyroidism shows a decrease in basal metabolic rate. Not only is it easy to feel bloated and constipated, but when symptoms get worse, the intestines do not move, which can be mistaken for intestinal obstruction. In addition, symptoms such as extreme fatigue, low body temperature and severe cold, dry skin, coarse hair and hair loss may also occur.
The good news is that both diseases are highly likely to improve if discovered early and receive appropriate treatment. The presence of primary thyroid abnormalities can be determined through a blood test. Hyperthyroidism is characterized by high thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) hormone concentrations and low thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, while hypothyroidism shows the opposite pattern. A more detailed examination may be performed through a thyroid scan using radioactive isotopes.
Treatment of hyperactivity and hypothyroidism is mostly done with drugs. In particular, hyperthyroidism is commonly treated with antithyroid drugs, and depending on other conditions, thyroidectomy surgery or radioactive iodine may be used to destroy the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism is treated with thyroid hormone medication, and the condition is checked through periodic follow-up and the dosage of the medication is checked. The most important thing is to receive proper examination and treatment from a specialist with extensive clinical experience and know-how in thyroid treatment.
Gyuhyung Kim, director of the Thyroid Center at Gangnam Peter Hospital, said, “Many people consider thyroid disease to be a disease that requires lifelong suffering, but if hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism receives appropriate treatment in the early stages, the symptoms will improve quickly and there will be no major problems in social life. “In most cases,” he said, “if you experienced any inconvenience due to various symptoms last summer, I recommend checking your thyroid function rather than ignoring it.”
Reporter Jang Ik-kyung [email protected]
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2023-10-04 19:00:24
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