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Thyroid Awareness Month: 1998

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Thyroid Disease and Depression in Men
MIDNIGHT BLUES

As a 40-year-old entrepreneur at a computer start-up firm, John was married to his job, typically working more than 70 hours a week. This seemed like a small price to pay, and necessary, since he was trying to grow his business in a new, highly competitive industry. Because John had a wife and two children whom he adored, he strove to be an attentive husband and father, in addition to a successful businessman.

Gradually, however, John began noticing unexplained symptoms. He began sweating excessively, even when it wasn't hot. He also experienced insomnia, nervousness and a decreased ability to concentrate. He was often tired, after waking up at 3 a.m. nearly every night. Going on virtually no sleep, John became increasingly irritable at both the office and at home. His usual calm attitude gave way to a jittery man that John himself did not recognize.

John was worried about his symptoms, but attributed them to his stressful job and getting older. Frustrated with his colleagues and unable to deal with his clients and family, John felt his world crumbling.

THE FACTS
  • Nearly 4 million people in the United States suffer from an overactive thyroid condition called hyperthyroidism.
  • It is estimated that nearly 20% of the male cases of hyperthyroidism in this country go unrecognized.
  • Different factors trigger hyperthyroidism, yet most specialists believe stress plays a role in the onset of the disease, as does age, since it is most likely to appear between the ages of 20 and 40.
  • 33%, or 40 million Americans, suffer from sleep disorders - a common symptom of hyperthyroidism.
  • The most common type of hyperthyroidism is known as Graves Disease, yet there are other reasons the thyroid gland can become overactive, including thyroid nodules and inflammation of the thyroid. Patients frequently become hyperthyroid when they take too much thyroid hormone replacement.

 

While many men with these symptoms may not have hyperthyroidism, it is still advisable for them to conduct a "Thyroid Neck Check," a simple self-examination that can be performed with a glass of water and a mirror.

 

The long hours associated with today's corporate world can often take its toll on employees - especially males who often feel the pressures of both advancing their careers and being good providers. The inability to "perform" in either one or both of these environments can be stressful and can cause a person to lose sleep, leaving them irritable and restless. In some cases, however, thyroid disease - rather than these daily pressures - can be the cause of these symptoms.

Thirteen million people have thyroid disease, yet an estimated 8 million are undiagnosed. Because thyroid disease - including hyperthyroidism - is more common in women and the elderly, people tend to ignore thyroid disease in middle-age men. But the reality is that hyperthyroidism can strike men too, and most often affects people in the prime of their lives - between the ages of 20 and 40.

People don't realize that their symptoms - most notably the feeling of being in overdrive without productive results - may be the result of hyperthyroidism. Other problems that may occur with thyroid disease include: weight loss, intolerance to heat/increased sweating, hair loss, muscle tremors and an enlargement of the thyroid gland, known as a goiter.

While many men with these symptoms may not have hyperthyroidism, it is still advisable for them to conduct a Thyroid Neck Check, a simple self-examination that can be performed with a glass of water and a mirror. If an enlarged thyroid gland is detected, the patient should consult his physician and request a simple, ultra-sensitive TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test-the most accurate measure of thyroid gland activity.

Once diagnosed, hyperthyroidism can be easily treated. The treatment of choice in the U.S. is radioactive iodine. After radioactive iodine therapy, patients are placed on thyroid hormone replacement therapy to restore normal thyroid levels in the blood.

 

With his sleeplessness nearly driving John to lose his business and sanity, he finally took a day off to see his physician and explain his symptoms. The doctor ran several tests, including a TSH test, and confirmed John had clinical hyperthyroidism, the mildest, most subtle form of an overactive thyroid gland. John was advised to take radioactive iodine, and responded swiftly to the treatment. John is now taking one levothyroxine tablet daily to replace the production of the thyroid hormone, and feels productive and energetic again.

 

Previous Thyroid Awareness Month Campaigns

Thyroid Awareness Month is supported through an unrestricted grant from Abbott Laboratories.
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