At 06:09 am 25/02/98 UT, Barbara Mallut wrote:
>... to attend a discussion by
>neurosurgeon and Parkinson's specialist Dr. Robert Iacono ...
Interesting reading, Barb. Thanks for posting it.
>- IF you or anyone you know has Parkinson's symptoms but doesn't respond to
PD meds, it's suggested their MD do a standard blood test for
hypothyroidism. It seems the symptoms of an underactive thyroid mimic PD
symptoms.
I found the following article some time ago, and saved it because my sister
has hypothyroidism. It would seem the thyroid gland can play all kinds of
tricks on us ...
Feeling Blue? Check Your Thyroid
by Denise Mann, c.1998 Medical Tribune News Service
NEW YORK -- Just one in five Americans with symptoms of depression is tested
for thyroid disease, according to a new nationwide survey. But the two
conditions share similar symptoms, and a thyroid problem may be overlooked,
experts
say.
In fact, millions of people with "the blues" may actually suffer from
thyroid disease, doctors said here Tuesday at a meeting sponsored by the
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE).
In the telephone survey of more than 660 adults, just 50 percent of those
who saw their doctor about depressive symptoms in the past two years were
tested for thyroid disease, and more than one-third of those with signs of
depression were prescribed an antidepressant before their thyroid function
was assessed.
Located in the neck, the small butterfly-shaped thyroid gland produces a
hormone that helps regulate the body's metabolism. Thyroid disease includes
hypothyroidism, a disease in which the thyroid gland fails to produce enough
of the hormone, and hyperthyroidism, in which it produces too much.
More than 13 million Americans have thyroid disease, but just about half
know it, experts said.
"Thyroid disease is underdiagnosed in this country, and many, many times it
presents as depression," said Dr. Stanley Feld, a clinical associate
professor of medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in
Dallas.
But a simple self-exam called a thyroid neck check may help millions of
Americans get the care that they need, he noted. To perform the exam, stand
in front of a mirror and observe your neck while drinking a glass of water.
Watch
for abnormal-looking bulges in the area below the Adam's apple and above the
collar bone.
Those who notice abnormalities should speak to a doctor about a
thyroid-function blood test, advised Feld, a pastÄpresident of AACE.
Risk factors for thyroid disease include a family history of the disease
and exposure to radiation. It is more common among women, and its incidence
increases with advancing age.
For a more detailed explanation explanation of how to perform the thyroid
neck check, visit AACE's web site at www.aace.com.
Judith Richards
[log in to unmask]
