The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-03-19
Your Health
Thyroid Gland in
Neck Important
to Health

! nAGOlu Gldlu III
Neck Important
TO Health
By H y EJNpESGE. 81. D
THERE is a very important
gland IN the front part Of the neck.
lt is called the thyroid gland and
it sends INTO the body a solution
called the thyroid secretion. When
there Is a lack Of secretion from
the thyroid gland. the condition IS
called hypothyroidism. II is a dis
order which occurs rather often,
but which may continue for a long
period of time before IL ls dag
nosed and treatment given for IT,.
The symptoms Of hyPotEyroid-
ism may be much like those which
occur M a number OF other dis
eases. The usual symptoms con-
sist Of pufiness Of the face and
eyelds. swelling Of the tongue and
voice box or larynv which pro-
dIccs a hoarse, slow speech, dry
ness and roughness Of the skin and
loss Of hair all over the body in
Guiding the eyebrows. There may
be poor memory and slowing OF all
the mental processes. Constipa-
ton is often present and there is a
reduction in the basal metabolism
rate.
The basal metabolism rate is the
rate az which the various actIvi-
ties Of the body 90 on when the
person is at complete rest. There
is simple method OF measuring
the metaboic rate by determining
the amount Of oxygen the patient
uses up IN a given period Of time.
1t Will be noted that none OF
the symptoms of hypothyroidism
cause pain or discomfort. Since
all Of the actions in the body are
slowed up, the patient tends to
become sluggish, and ceases to
think properly. He can easily be-
come accustomed to the symptoms
and as a result do nothing about
them. Until more serious physical
difficulty develops, the patient
often does not realize that he is
i'll or abnormal in any way.
The exact cause Of hypothy-
roidlsm has not been determined.
Just why there should be lack OF
thyroid secretion has rot been dis
covered. 1t has been thought that
Inflammation Of the thyroid gland
may be responsible.
II IS unfortunate that more ac-
curate methods Of measuring the
basal metabolsm have not as yet
been discovered. The tests as car
ried out at present are subject to
many errors. In addition, there
are complications of hypothy-
roidism such as heart failure, Sc
we're anemia and disturbances OF
the digestion, as well as upsets in
the monthly periods. These COM
phcations often may produce a rise
in the matabolism rate, so that the
true cause Of all the difficulty
may be missed. 1t is advised that
the meta6oism test be repeated
several times, and any complica-
tons which are present be taken
into consideration in determining
whether or not deficiency Of thy
roid secretion exists.
Another helpful examination in
making a diagnosis Of hypothy-
roidism is to determine the amount
OF cholesterol in the blood. In hy-
pothyroidism the amount of cho-
esterol in the blood is increased.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance
found in all the body tissues.
II the physician believes that the
patient may be suffering from ny
pothyroidism, he will give thyroid
extract in the proper dose. or
course, this preparation should be
taken only under the physicians
directions, since an excessive dose
may cause damage to various body
tissues such as the heart and kid
neys, while an insufficient dose
viii not bring the expected bene-
fits. II the treatment with the
thyroid extract brings relief from
the symptoms, it tends to confirm
'he diagnosis Of hypothyroidism.
Tomorrow DR.. Bundesen will
discuss "Sulfonamide Drugs and
Ear Infections