Some final thoughts:

  Thyroid Awareness Month

I spent a little time with Dr. George Moore, an endocrinologist at our Woodlands Specialty Center in Bothell, and asked him a few questions that intrigued me about thyroid health. We’ve had some great, intensive posts about thyroid health this month, but there were a few things that I still wanted to know about. Here are some of the questions I asked Dr. Moore and his answers.

For people who have never had thyroid problems, what might signal that something is wrong with their thyroid and what symptoms should they look for other than the obvious goiter?

One of the most obvious symptoms of thyroid disorder is fatigue.  People also need to be watch for muscle weakness in the upper arms or legs which could suggest thyroid problems.  Changed bowel habits can be an indicator that something is wrong with the thyroid, as well as significant changes in the heart rate—either up or down.  You might also experience changes in temperature tolerance -- heat or cold.   You don’t have to have all of these symptoms. You could have one, some or all.

I know that there are many thyroid conditions, but what do you see most in adolescents and what role does genetics play in that?

Adolescence is a time when you’re going to see immunological kinds of diseases such as hypothyroid, hyperthyroid, Graves Disease or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. It’s believed that rapid hormonal changes like going through puberty set off the immune system and when it goes off, it goes looking for organs to attack. It attacks the thyroid because the thyroid has one of the richest blood flows per gram of tissue of any tissue in the body so there are more immune cells in the organ.  Barriers between circulation and tissue are not real firm, so it can get easier access to antigens.

Many people have a genetic predisposition to thyroid disease, but it is not directly inherited.  If Mom has it, a child is more likely to have it. But it is not a direct one-to-one inheritance. It's an increase in risk. Also, some unusual thyroid cancers are inherited.

Statistically, do men or women have more thyroid problems?

The relative rate of occurrence for women to men is 3:1. That goes back to hormonal swings maybe. No one knows for sure.

Do people with thyroid conditions tend to have other problems like autoimmune disease, diabetes, or heart problems?

Thyroid conditions can lead to other autoimmune disease, adrenal disease, celiac disease, pernicious anemia or vitiligo and it is connected to Type 1 Diabetes.  If you have an overactive thyroid you can get arrhythmias of the heart and it is a big risk factor for atrial fibulation in old people. Hypothyroidism can be associated with increased levels of cholesterol.

I asked Dr. Moore if there was anything else that he thought was important for our readers to know about thyroid disease. Here is his answer.

If you feel a lump or bump in your neck, you should consult a physician for evaluation as you may need an ultrasound, biopsy, or nuclear scan. Thyroid nodules (bumps in the thyroid) need to be evaluated. Although most are benign, they can become malignant, so let your doctor know if you discover one.

I want to thank Dr. Moore for taking the time to answer my questions. You can learn more about Dr. Moore here.