The verdict on thyroid disease remains debatable. This is because the condition is surrounded by a web of confusion and not everyone understands its triggers or treatments well. Even though thyroid disease is a somewhat common phenomenon, recommended treatment may be a hit-or-miss experience creating uncertainty about the topic.
The verdict on thyroid disease remains debatable. This is because the condition is surrounded by a web of confusion and not everyone understands its triggers or treatments well. Even though thyroid disease is a somewhat common phenomenon, recommended treatment may be a hit-or-miss experience creating uncertainty about the topic.
There are an estimated 20 million Americans living with thyroid issues, with an astounding 60% unaware of the problem. The ambiguity surrounding thyroid disease may be due to the generic symptoms, often contributed to other conditions. Furthermore, since thyroid hormone production can go either way resulting in hypo- or hyperthyroidism, there really is no one-size-fits-all treatment plan.
To clear up some of the confusion, let’s look at the 5 most common misunderstandings about thyroid disease:
#1 Numbers say it all
Numbers can be misleading, especially when it comes to diagnosing thyroid diseases. The official guidelines for diagnosing thyroid issues, whether under- or overactive, are largely dependent on a TSH test. Conventional wisdom dictates that TSH levels above 5.0 are considered subclinical hypothyroidism and may not need treatment, but a TSH reading above 10.0 demands treatment. On the other hand, readings below 0.5 shows hyperthyroidism in action and needs treatment.
But the problem arises even among experts. There is a lot of variability among TSH reference ranges with some considering a narrower range to be better. Others prefer to look for underlying conditions that could contribute to thyroid imbalance and run other tests.
The truth of the matter is that TSH levels can well be within normal ranges, but people may still experience health problems related to their thyroid. So, it is essential to look beyond the numbers as the problem is bigger than readings alone.
#2 Medication for life
Often, patients may be informed that they need to take thyroid medication for life, especially those on thyroid hormone replacement. While this may apply to a small demographic of thyroid patients, not everyone needs to be medicated for life. Only people who may have undergone surgery or RAI (radioactive iodine) procedures known to remove or destroy part or much of the thyroid will need treatment for life.
Others can often stop taking thyroxine once their condition improves, but treatment plans and durations will vary individually.
#3 Iodine supplementation solves all your thyroid woes
While it holds true that the thyroid gland needs iodine for optimal functioning, it is equally true that an excess of iodine can trigger thyroid dysfunction. And, not all cases of thyroid disease present an iodine deficiency.
For some individuals, iodine-containing products may worsen autoimmune thyroid problems and cause an enlargement of the thyroid. This can be especially applicable to individuals diagnosed with Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease.
In scenarios where iodine prescription is considered, the ideal strategy would be to first get tested to measure urinary iodine to determine an actual deficiency. Then, it is recommended to carefully monitor any symptoms that may develop after starting iodine supplementation.
#4 Weight issues indicate thyroid problems
Of the two types, hyperthyroidism typically presents weight loss. The prime reason for this is that individuals with this condition experience increased metabolism, which can result in losing weight. Another way of putting this is that these people experience an increase in appetite but without the associated weight gain. Yet, not everyone with an overactive thyroid loses weight and some actually put on the pounds.
On the other hand, individuals with hypothyroidism may have a hard time losing weight. Hypothyroidism sufferers may feel extremely tired far too often. Fatigue drains energy reserves, and as a result, the individual reduces their physical activity.
In some cases, merely being overweight, without any other issues, can mimic thyroid disease symptoms.
#5 It is easy to detect and diagnose thyroid disease
This is another common misunderstanding as thyroid related symptoms can be present in many different medical conditions. This makes it all the harder to pinpoint thyroid as a direct trigger for the discomfort. Diagnosis can take quite some time as doctors work through the process of elimination, narrowing down the possibilities first.
In other scenarios, misdiagnosis is not an infrequent occurrence either, especially for women. This happens because a lot of hormone-related, female-specific conditions can present similar symptoms. Phases like puberty, pregnancy, postpartum period, and perimenopause can all factor in to create hormonal imbalances.
Please see this informative infographic for more information.
Takeaway
To conclude, it can be said that the thyroid problems are sometimes the first pieces of the puzzle. So many other issues factor in that simple TSH readings do not account for. Plus, individuals may also be suffering from digestive problems, adrenal fatigue, or other issues that need to be addressed first before thyroid problems can be healed.
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