It has become an accepted fact that the incidence of thyroid disease is soaring. Before 2000, thyroid cancer was not among the top 20 malignant tumors in women, but now, more than a decade later, it has jumped to the 6th place among malignant tumors in women.
Professor Qian Qiuhai, director of the Department of Endocrinology of the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and doctoral supervisor, a standing member of the Endocrine Committee of the Chinese Society of Integrative Medicine, said in an interview that thyroid diseases are highly prevalent, dangerous and have many complications, and patients’ awareness of the disease is seriously lacking, so it is urgent to control thyroid diseases.
I. There is a reason for the surge in thyroid disease
”When it comes to thyroid disease, many people will first think of thick neck disease. In fact, thyroid disease mainly includes hyperthyroidism (commonly known as hyperthyroidism), hypothyroidism (commonly known as hypothyroidism), thyroid nodules and thyroiditis and other four types of diseases.” Qian Qiuhai introduced the thyroid gland is the body’s “engine”, it is in charge of the secretion of thyroid hormones, promote the oxidation and decomposition of sugar and fat, promote growth and development and improve the excitability of the central nervous system. Whether people have more or less of this hormone, they may have problems with their metabolism, body temperature, heart and other organs.
Analyzing the reasons for the rapid growth of thyroid disorders in recent years, Qian Qiuhai believes that thyroid disorders are related to genetics, autoimmunity and viral infections, but with the development of modern society, the causes are becoming more and more complex, with smoking, psychosocial factors, irrational diet, radioactive radiation and environmental pollution becoming important factors that trigger and aggravate thyroid disorders. “The development of thyroid disease is also closely related to environmental endocrine disruptors, especially in women, who use skin care products, sunscreen and other endocrine disruptors of different degrees and types, which may cause abnormal secretion of thyroid hormones and even lead to thyroid tumors and other thyroid diseases.”
The reason for this is that there are misconceptions about the treatment of thyroid disease, which is also the reason why it is difficult to control the situation. The patient has to be patient, and with the cooperation of both the doctor and the patient, after a long-term conditioning process, the treatment effect can definitely be achieved. In addition, adjuvant therapy is also very important, to do “diet, regular living, not delusional labor, the spirit of internal guard.
Second, do not take hypothyroidism as “sub-health”
Ms. Su is the chief financial officer of a business company in Jinan, she has always been full of energy, but recently she always felt weak, once at work, drowsy, and unusually low mood. She looked up from the Internet and found that these are symptoms of sub-health, so she bought a variety of health products and arranged a long vacation for herself. But after the vacation, health care products also eat a lot, the body discomfort did not subside. In the suggestion of friends, Ms. Su went to the hospital to do an endocrine examination, and found that she had hypothyroidism.
The first thing you need to do is to get a good idea of what you’re doing. “The initial symptoms of hypothyroidism are relatively mild, but gradually the mental depression and disorders of bodily functions will appear, and even lead to women of childbearing age can not normal pregnancy and childbirth. If this stage is not detected and treated, it may lead to myocardial infarction, and the risk of fluid failure of the heart, kidneys and other organs will also increase greatly.”
Third, how can early detection of hidden hypothyroidism? Qian Qiuhai gave a self-examination table of hypothyroidism:
1, feel weak, often sleepy, physical strength and energy are very low.
2, the brain thinking is slow, attention is difficult to focus, memory loss, action and reaction has become slower.
3.Inexplicable weight gain.
4.The skin becomes dry, and the nails become brittle, gray and easily broken.
5, often feel cold, even when everyone else is feeling very comfortable.
6.Have many negative thoughts and feel depressed.
7, intestinal function and metabolic level seems to be slowed down, and sometimes constipation.
8, muscle and bone stiffness, pain.
9.Increased blood pressure and slowed heart rate.
10.Higher cholesterol.
If 5 or more of these 10 items match, you may be suffering from hypothyroidism, so be sure to go to the endocrinology department for thyroid function and thyroid antibody testing, along with ultrasound and CT to confirm the diagnosis. women over 35 years old are a high-risk group for hypothyroidism and need extra attention.
Four, thyroid nodules can not be left to their own devices
Six years ago, Xiaoyu was found to have thyroid nodules during a routine physical examination organized by her unit. She was once very worried, but after two consecutive years of physical examinations, the nodules have not changed, and gradually relaxed the vigilance. In the following years, she missed the checkup time because of business trips, and she didn’t feel bothered to go back for the checkup. But at the beginning of this year, the doctor diagnosed that Xiaoyu’s nodules had developed into thyroid cancer.
Qian Qiuhai said that thyroid nodules are a common disease of the endocrine system, through clinical examination, 3-7% of people suffer from thyroid nodules, through high-resolution ultrasound, the detection rate of thyroid nodules increased to 20-76%. Among thyroid nodules, 5-15% of patients may be malignant, which means thyroid cancer.
”Generally speaking, multiple thyroid nodules are mostly benign, while single thyroid nodules are more likely to become malignant. Patients have no obvious symptoms in the early stages, so they are easily overlooked.” Qian Qiuhai reminded that both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism can easily combine with thyroid nodules, and patients with hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism combined with thyroid nodules have a relatively high probability of developing thyroid cancer, which should be taken seriously.
The incidence of thyroid nodules is generally lower in males than in females, but once a male develops a thyroid nodule, especially if he has a solitary thyroid nodule, his chances of malignancy are much higher than in females. In addition, the incidence of thyroid nodules in children is very low, accounting for about 1-1.5 percent, but it is four times more likely to develop into a malignant disease than in adults, so parents should also pay close attention to it.
Qian Qiuhai suggests that if you find a thyroid nodule, remember not to take a chance, think it is a minor disease, do not care about it, to prevent observation without treatment, and do not think that the nodule is everything, which will only cause “cut leeks” like recurrence. It is important to follow up, detect, review, and at the same time carry out interventional treatment, which also includes lifestyle changes, diet and living, etc. It is particularly important to maintain a relaxed and happy mood.