Читать книгу The Healthy Thyroid: What you can do to prevent and alleviate thyroid imbalance - Patsy Westcott - Страница 8

In recent years, it has become apparent that thyroid problems may be even more common than ever imagined. The availability of more sophisticated methods of testing thyroid function has revealed that many seemingly healthy women with apparently normal thyroid function have, in fact, abnormal levels of hormones and antibodies against the thyroid gland. This also suggests that the cases of thyroid disease identified and treated may be only a fraction of what is actually out there.

Since 1995, such cases of mild or low-grade thyroid disease have received a great deal of attention in the medical and public media. Medical journals, such as the influential New England Journal of Medicine, have carried major articles on subclinical thyroid disease, while the shelves of bookshops now carry stacks of books about thyroid problems aimed at the general public. Many put forward the view that hidden thyroid problems are a factor in a host of conditions reaching epidemic proportions in the 21st century, including:

• Chronic fatigue

• Depression, anxiety and mood swings

• Difficulty in losing weight

• Eating disorders

• Menstrual problems

• Fertility problems, miscarriage and premature births

• Perimenopausal and menopausal problems

• Changes in libido

• Heart disease

• Osteoporosis

• Ageing.

There is much controversy surrounding the issue of mild thyroid disease – or should it be called early or pre-thyroid disease? Despite being more widely recognized, there is little consensus on its significance and whether or how it should be treated. No one truly knows how important it is as a cause of ill health or how often it might lead to full-blown thyroid disease. Other questions remain, too: Should it be tested for in the absence of symptoms? Should women with symptoms suggestive of thyroid problems, such as tiredness and depression, be treated even if blood tests are apparently normal? Should widespread thyroid screening be introduced and, if so, at what age and how often should testing be performed?

Just as in 1995, there is a lot of debate, but no definitive answers.