Thyroid - Small but Significant!
The thyroid is one of the largest endocrine glands. It controls how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and controls how sensitive the body should be to other hormones. Here are two questions I recently was asked that were related to the thyroid.
I've been struggling with weight gain, especially in the past 3 years. I'm a 56-year-old woman and have managed to stay at a reasonably healthy weight most of my life. My usual diet and activity level have not changed. What could be the reason?
Usually weight gain is the result of overeating and lack of enough activity, but in a small percentage of cases excess weight gain is a symptom of another disease. One medical cause of weight gain can include hypothyroidism. This is a condition where the thyroid gland (which is located in the neck) is not producing enough thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone is a very important part of regulating our metabolism and if this is deficient, weight gain can occur. You should consult with your doctor so that blood tests can be performed to check hormone levels and appropriate treatment provided.
In the last few months, I've noticed mood changes in my spouse. There have been no real reasons for her to feel down but I'm concerned because I feel this may be related to a medical issue. Are there health changes that affect mood or cause depression?
Your concerns are valid, as medical problems may certainly cause depression or make it worse. Some problems include: drug or alcohol abuse, chronic pain, recent illness or surgery. But even health problems, which are not always obvious, but very treatable, include anemia or an underactive thyroid gland (otherwise known as hypothyroidism) may be the cause, and treating these health problems can usually significantly improve depression. Encourage your wife to set up an appointment with her primary care physician and discuss all of her physical and emotional symptoms. Help her make a list of these symptoms before the appointment, which along with other tests will assist the doctor in making the proper diagnosis.
Janice Baker, BSc., MBA, RD, CDE, CNSC www.BakerNutrition.com jbaker9@ san.rr.com
