Thyroid gland disorders affect every 10th Serb, and regular check-ups play a significant role in diagnosis.
The thyroid gland has many important roles in the human body. In the event of its work being disturbed, the functions of the brain are particularly endangered. The theme of International Thyroid Week this year around the world is the hereditary risk factor. Thyroid disorders affect more than 300 million people worldwide. It is estimated that every tenth citizen in Serbia has a thyroid disorder. Doctors indicate that it is necessary to go for a preventive examination once a year.
“Thyroid hormones primarily regulate the work of the brain, enabling normal brain development, so if you don’t have enough hormones immediately after birth, there will be a severe halt in growth and development,” professor Miloš Žarković, endocrinologist, told RTS. He added that in this regard, our pediatric services do good screening. Also, the thyroid gland is responsible for regulating the metabolism. It speeds it up or slows it down, affects the muscles…
“If you have too much thyroid hormone, you’ll die, if you have too little thyroid hormone, of course in the long run – you’ll die again,” says the professor and points out that “the brain suffers the most” in case of thyroid gland dysfunction.
“The brain does not function well at all, neither with too much, nor with too little. If you have too much thyroid hormone, so-called thyrotoxicosis, nervousness, thinking disorders, weight loss, tremors and heart palpitations occur. If this continues for a long time, thyrotoxic heart occurs , where the heart will give in at the end and then it can end very badly“, warns Professor Žarković and says that fortunately, such more serious cases have not occurred in recent decades, because diagnostics are at a higher level. However, for a number of reasons, the number of patients who have some of the problems with the functioning of the thyroid gland is increasing.
“We have a problem because we have endocrine disruptors in our environment. In terms of autoimmune thyroid disease, like, in order to be born, 60 percent is genetics, and 40 percent is environmental conditions. Therefore, thyroid diseases run in families. If one member has it, chances are high that another member has it too,” explains the professor.
Factors of the external environment include the amount of available iodine, selenium, iron, micro-substances from some textile products, radiation… Diseases of the thyroid gland are more common in women for several reasons, but it is certainly important that people with symptoms see a doctor. Among the symptoms are problems with concentration, mood, deepened voice…
Pills, surgery, radioactive iodine
When the disease is detected early, adequate and successful treatment can be provided. “Hypothyroidism in general, when your gland doesn’t work at all, is a deadly disease. It lasts a long time, but eventually you die. You give one small pill and you have a healthy patient, and a small pill is very cheap,” explains the professor.
A few months ago, the Clinical Center of Serbia received the most up-to-date equipment for better diagnostics regarding the functioning of the thyroid gland. It makes the work easier for the staff and helps the patients, among other things, by determining more precisely whether or not operative treatment is needed.
When it comes to prevention, Professor Žarković states that it is important to regularly check people who have a genetic predisposition for some of the diseases related to the thyroid gland, then those with autoimmune diseases and people over 45 years of age. Laboratory analyzes are also desirable once a year.
(MONDO/RTS)