How to determine whether a person is iodine-deficient or not can generally be detected through symptoms, signs and relevant auxiliary examinations.
Firstly, patients with iodine deficiency in the body will have symptoms such as fear of cold, weight loss, mental retardation and drowsiness. Secondly, blood test and biochemistry can be checked. This is because patients with iodine deficiency tend to have mild-severe normochromic anemia and increased blood cholesterol.
In addition, the most crucial thing is to carry out the examination of thyroid function, and generally increased serum TSH and decreased FT4 are the necessary conditions for the diagnosis of iodine deficiency. There is also urinary iodine measurement, which evaluates the nutritional status of iodine in the body according to the amount of urinary iodine excretion, and urinary iodine below 100μg/24h in children suggests iodine malnutrition.
Thyroid ultrasonography is mainly used to determine the size of the thyroid gland, to see whether there is enlargement, nodules and thyroid blood flow status. Other examinations include chest CT examination and iodine absorption rate examination, which are helpful in determining the condition and guiding the treatment.
When iodine deficiency is suspected, it is necessary to actively consult the doctor and follow the doctor’s instructions for reasonable treatment.