Symptoms: Thyroid Disease

We are an exhausted people, no doubt about that. We go to work, run errands, handle our children, perform our domestic duties and eventually fall into bed asleep before we can even find comfort. We are also a weight-obsessed culture. Whether we’re fixated on finding the ultimate weight-loss solution, or we’re actively trying to gain weight, weight issues affect most of us at one time or another. Yet another all-American passion: depression. It seems we’ve all found times of utter despair in our lives, and have been reluctant to seek professional help. Oftentimes, this sense of despondency attacks us for no apparent reason, thus supporting the “I don’t need help…it’ll go away” cop-out.
While these are very common issues, they could speak volumes on a little bowtie scale. Enter the thyroid gland. Shaped like a bowtie, with two lobes on each side of the isthmus (a narrow part that connects two parts of a structure.), the thyroid gland controls the release of hormones that regulate physiological functions of the body. It controls the rate at which the body carries on its necessary functions. OK, you say. Big deal. Everything my body does is controlled by something. What does it matter what it is? Well, it matters because its over- or under-activity could go unnoticed for far too long, allowing us stubborn-minded individuals to lay blame for our symptoms on life and stress.
Thyroid disease is a very common ailment, affecting millions of Americans. More common in women, than in men, it is easy for the symptoms to go unnoticed. After all, women carry the great load in the stress department, what with full-time jobs, strained relationships, and the greater responsibility of raising children. So we do get tired, we do gain weight, we do lose weight, and we do feel depressed. But understanding that there very well could be a medical cause, instead of a life cause, for these problems can bring perspective where it is much-needed.
Let’s quicky explore the two most common thyroid conditions: hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.
Hyperthyroidism happens when the thyroid produces too much thyroid hormone. This is also called an over-active thyroid. Its symptoms include, but are not limited to, insomnia, hand tremors, nervousness, loss of weight-despite a normal/healthy appetite, excessive sweating, irregular menstruation, trouble concentrating, and enlarging eyes.
Hypothyroidism is just the opposite: its blame lies in not enough thyroid hormone being released into the body. Symtoms include fatigue or exhaustion, poor cold tolerance, constipation, carpal-tunnel syndrome, poor appetite, weight gain, dry skin, depression, and loss of intellect.
While some symptoms may seem severe, there are medical solutions available. From taking hormone supplements to having your thyroid removed, many treatment plans are available.

Maybe it’s time to pay more attention to those pesky little “life problems”.

Arteriosclerosis: Symptoms and Treatment

Arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a common disease affecting millions of people worldwide.  It develops when the walls of the arteries become hardened, thicken, and lose their elasticity.  This occurs over time, as a result of too much pressure on the arteries.   While the cause is greatly unknown, there are certain risk factors, at times coupled with heredity, that would lend credit to the ability of this disease to exacerbate.

Unrelieved stress, smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes may contribute to the development of arteriosclerosis.  A diet high in cholesterol  is a major contributing factor, because it can cause a fatty build-up, called plaque, to harden within the arteries.  When this occurs, it is referred to as atherosclerosis.  Atherosclerosis is the most common type of arteriosclerosis, and the two terms are often used definitive to the other.

When the walls of the arteries become hardened and lose their elasticity, platelets (disk-shaped particles found in abundance in the blood, which play an important role in clotting) will form around the damaged site within the artery as the body attempts to self-repair.  At the same time, fatty deposits made mostly of cholesterol will accumulate and harden within the arteries.  This greatly reduces blood flow to major organs.  As an added risk, these fatty deposits, as well as the blood clots, could dislodge and completely block blood flow to major organs.

Most people are unaware of the presence of arteriosclerosis until it has become severe.  The reason for this is simple:  noticeable symptoms do not appear until the artery has narrowed considerably or has become blocked.  The symptoms will then vary depending on which organ was affected.

The most common symptom of arteriosclerosis to the coronary arteries is angina (chest pain).  In a coronary artery, a blood clot could (and most likely would) cause a heart attack.  If the blood flow to the heart is repeatedly, or chronically, hampered, fatal heart failure could result.

Sudden dizziness, numbness, and weakness could all be signs of an obstruction in the blood flow within the carotid arteries.  Carotid arteries are large arteries on each side of the neck that supply blood flow to the head and the brain.  When these arteries become blocked, a stroke is likely the cause of the underlying symptoms.  If a stroke occurs, it could cause a loss of speech, paralysis, and sometimes death.

Arteriosclerosis can present many complications.  Among the more serious, and possibly life-threatening, is the risk for heart attack and stroke.  However, there are a few other complications that deserve considerable attention.  While some of these may appear to be non-life-threatening, it is important to seek medical attention should one of these complications arise.  These include, and may not be limited to, damage to organs, insufficient blood flow to the legs and feet, transit ischemic attack (TIA or mini-stroke), and a very serious risk for aneurysms. 

Coronary heart disease is responsible for roughly half a million deaths per year in America alone.  The cause?  Atherosclerosis, the most common type of arteriosclerosis.  When the arteries to the heart become restricted or narrow, the blood flow to the heart is diminished.  The most telling symptom of coronary heart disease is angina pectoris, or chest pain.  Often, this pain can radiate to other parts of the body, such as the neck and back.  Coronary heart disease often leads to heart attack when the blood flow to a part of the heart has almost or completely stopped.  This causes the death of the affected heart tissue, hence the heart attack.

Many treatment options are available for arteriosclerosis, and their application is usually gauged by the extent of the illness.  Most common are the medicines used to reverse or slow down the effects of bad cholesterol and the medicines designed to stop blood clotting.  For more serious cases, surgery and other invasive procedures are deemed necessary.  One such procedure is angioplasty, in which a doctor inserts a catheter into the blocked part of the artery, and inserts a balloon to be inflated within the artery walls.  This compresses the blockage against the artery walls, providing a newly opened area for blood flow.  A stent may be inserted to keep the artery open.  Another procedure, endarterectomy, is performed to remove the fatty deposits from the artery.   Other procedures can include gene therapy and bypass surgery.

Noting the seriousness of the complications should encourage us to take proper measures toward the prevention of arteriosclerosis.  Proper diet, exercise, a nicotine-free lifestyle, and stress management are all effective ways, especially when combined, to reduce or slow down the progression of this disease.