It is like a butterfly, which is located in the neck. And it is a formidable regulator of our well-being. But sometimes it doesn’t work at its best, so much so that in Italy there are almost six million people with thyroid problems. Unfortunately, in addition to the objective specific conditions – it should always be remembered that thyroid pathologies must be addressed with the endocrinologist, to find the most effective solution case by case – sometimes the information on these problems is not exactly correct.
And it is for this reason that the World Thyroid Week, until May 31st, focuses on this aspect. according to Marcello Bagnasco, scientific coordinator of the week and president of the AIT (Italian Thyroid Association) “‘wide availability of news on the internet undoubtedly, as always, has positive implications, but it can also lead to the illusion of being able to be in all respects’ doctors of themselves’, and above all determine the proliferation of inaccurate or even false information, often alarmist, susceptible to revival and amplification ”. To clarify, here are some examples of answers that experts offer to the most discussed topics among people. information not really
Hypothyroidism Equals Overweight?
Those with extra pounds tend to report overweight to the thyroid gland. But it is not always a correct decision, like Anna Maria Colao, President of SIE, the Italian Society of Endocrinology. “Patients with severe hypothyroidism may be overweight, but this is not usually found in mild hypothyroidism, which is much more common. Moreover, obese patients may present modest alterations in thyroid function tests, which must be correctly framed by the endocrinologist. In any case, the use of drugs based on thyroid hormone for slimming purposes is neither adequate nor effective, and presents health risks “.
Yes or no iodized salt?
The iodized salt is an effective tool to allow you to offer everyone un sufficient amount of iodine, but also there are many doubts that must be dispelled once and for all. “Iodine is essential for the functioning of the thyroid gland because it is the fundamental constituent of thyroid hormones, therefore, adequate iodine nutrition allows you to prevent most thyroid diseases – explains Antonella Olivieri, head of the National Observatory for Monitoring Iodoprophylaxis ( OSNAMI) of the ISS, Higher Health Institute. Everyone, even people with thyroid diseases can use iodized salt (“Little salt but iodized”, according to a successful slogan) because this food guarantees the necessary needs but does not cause an excessive iodine intake “.
When the scalpel is needed
Sometimes it is necessary to surgically intervene on the thyroid, perhaps to remove part or all of the gland. Obviously, even on the aesthetic front, having less evident permanent signs is important. But we must not make the mistake of believing that all people are the same: even for the thyroid, it is necessary to act with the optimal strategy on a case-by-case basis.
“One is led to consider that minimally invasive and robotic interventions of the thyroid gland can lead to fewer complications – reports Pietro Giorgio Calò, President of SIUEC, Unitary Italian Society of Endocrine Surgery. The likelihood of complications in thyroid surgery is not correlated with the technique employed. Minimally invasive interventions are preferred due to the possibility of having almost invisible signs on the neck, but these techniques are reserved for the thyroid glands and smaller nodules. Thyroid surgery is increasingly moving towards a personalized approach on each individual patient and on the characteristics of the gland and the nodule “.
Rays and thyroid
To execute screening mammography it is fundamental, according to the path studied for each woman. And it is best to remember that the radiation emitted during the examination is not intended to create problems for the gland.
According to Maria Cristina Marzola of the AIMN, Italian Nuclear Medicine Association, “some people think that the radiation to which they are exposed through screening mammograms can cause damage to the thyroid gland and therefore it would always be necessary to wear a leaded collar to protect themselves. In reality, there is no danger of damage to the thyroid gland, and in particular of the onset of tumors, linked to mammography screening, a precious procedure for the early diagnosis of breast cancer. The radioactivity delivered is very low and the radiation in any case does not affect the thyroid. The use of lead collars is not only useless but harmful because it can alter the result of the mammogram “.