One
of the three common causes of poor performance of students in schools and
colleges has been ascribed to insufficient functioning of a small gland
situated in the front of our neck, called Thyroid. While weighing only around
50 grams, the thyroid gland produces a hormone thyroxine which regulates how
our body functions, or its “metabolism”.
As
the role of the hormone is to pace up the body and mind and keep us active and
alert, its deficient production leads to just the opposite effects: dullness,
lethargy, sluggishness, drowsiness, lack of concentration and obesity.
Indeed
it is this “dullness” and lethargy that makes poor learners and performers of students,
when the role of the thyroid is often overlooked and the blame is placed on other
factors such as the role of parents, distractions by television, or even the
quality of teachers!
There
are several ways and phases in which hypothyroidism, or inadequate function of
the gland, may present. It presents as cretinism in infants and small children.
These kids are stunted in growth, have coarse skin, are retarded mentally and
show growth failure. Deficiency of iodine is often the underlying cause.
When
it manifests in adults, especially women, the signs are often subtle, with
increasing weight, fatigue, heavy infrequent periods, cold intolerance, high
blood pressure, increased blood levels of cholesterol, hoarseness of voice,
coarse skin, loss of eyebrows, or even depression, in isolation or in
combination. Some may also have a “goitre” or prominent swelling of the gland
in the neck, due to long term deficiency of iodine.
Thyroid
problems are indeed common in adults with 10-30% showing evidence of
dysfunction when tested.
Detecting
Hypothyroidism is easy. A simple blood test that estimates TSH (Thyroid
stimulating hormone) tells you where you stand. In early hypothyroidism, TSH
values (normal 1-5) are increased above normal limits, demonstrating that more
pressure is required by TSH to flog a tired thyroid gland to produce thyroxine.
With further progressive weakness of the gland, thyroxine levels start falling
despite TSH levels climbing further.
Once
detected, treatment is quite easy and requires the hormone to be taken every
day as replenishment. The daily dose, best taken in the early morning on an
empty stomach, needs to be titrated by the doctor. Improvement is usually
obvious in weeks, with friends often noticing a change in appearance and
personality.
A
rarer form of thyroid disorder is one in which the gland produces an excess of the
hormone, called hyper-thyroidism. It
presents as prominent bulging eyes, rapid pulse rate, weight loss, and
excessive sweating. Treatment here aims at slowing down the overactive thyroid
gland.
Thyroid
disorders are often so indefinable and subtle in their signs, and yet have such
far-reaching effects on the functions of our body, mind and personality that experts
recommend testing it as a part of general check-up. And with treatment being so
simple and rewarding, the stakes of missing it are indeed high.
As published in HT City ( Hindustan Times) dated 5 May, 2013.
As published in HT City ( Hindustan Times) dated 5 May, 2013.
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