Thyroid check-up

Fatigue, hair loss, an increase in weight – these and other vague symptoms frequently are signs of a malfunctioning thyroid. However, only a few people realize this. And they give in to the seemingly unavoidable consequences – even when this means a substantial restriction to a person's quality of life. It does not have to be this way, because if patients with non-specific, lasting complaints undergo a careful examination performed by a medical specialist, they could avoid such complaints in the future with a specific therapy.

Five out of one hundred overweight persons suffer from an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). Women are especially afflicted by this: they experience weight problems although they are eating normally, and they do not lose any weight even while dieting. This can happen to people at any age, but women in menopause, when estrogen production decreases, are very often afflicted by this.

Normally, there are additional, unpleasant accompanying symptoms: loss of hair; an extreme sensitivity to coldness; fatigue; a reduction in performance; sexual problems; chronic constipation; muscular weakness; and fluid retention in the legs. These and other non-specific complaints can be signs of hypothyroidism. Possible causes are: inflammations; autoimmune diseases; and hormone disruptions (e.g., during menopause).

The thyroid check-up

If you suspect your thyroid may not be functioning properly, you should have your thyroid checked.

• Blood tests will indicate if your thyroid is producing enough hormones, or whether you are suffering from hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
• An ultrasound examination (thyroid sonography) will reveal the size and structure of your thyroid, and helps to differentiate between nodules detected by touch or by scans in solid tissue or in cysts (liquid-filled sacs).
• The thyroid scan detects, among other things, whether a solid nodule is producing too few (or none at all) thyroid hormones, or too many thyroid hormones; and whether it therefore is a cold or hot nodule.