NEW YORK, Jan. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- January
is Thyroid Awareness Month, and physicians from the Hilda and J.
Lester Gabrilove Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone
Disease and the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck
Surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System are emphasizing the
importance of being aware of symptoms that may be related to
thyroid disease.
The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck and under
the voice box. It produces hormones that help the body control the
rate of metabolism, and regulate the production and consumption of
energy. When thyroid function is accelerated, the condition is
called hyperthyroidism; when slowed, it is called hypothyroidism.
Imbalances in thyroid function may be a result of environmental,
autoimmune, or genetic factors. Additionally, thyroid issues may
lead to cancer.
Thyroid disease affects roughly 200 million people worldwide,
and thyroid cancer is on the rise, with roughly 52,000 new cases
diagnosed in 2019, according to the American Cancer Society. Three
out of four thyroid cancer diagnoses are made in women. Data from
the American Thyroid Association shows that more than 12 percent of
the U.S. population will develop a thyroid condition in their
lifetime, and the cause of these problems is largely unknown. An
estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease
and up to 60 percent of them don't know they have it, so they go
undiagnosed and untreated. "Women are five to eight times more
likely than men to have thyroid issues, and one in eight women will
develop a thyroid disorder. People with a family history of thyroid
disease and/or thyroid cancer, and exposure to high doses of
radiation, are also at increased risk," said Terry Davies, MD, Co-Director of the Mount Sinai
Thyroid Center at Union Square and Professor of Medicine
(Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease) at the Icahn School of
Medicine at Mount Sinai.
How to Perform a Thyroid Neck Self-Exam:
- Use a mirror and focus on the lower middle area of your neck,
above the collarbones and below the Adam's apple (larynx). Your
thyroid gland is located in this area of your neck.
- While focusing on this area in the mirror, tip your head
back.
- Take a drink of water and swallow.
- As you swallow, look at your neck. Check for any bulges or
protrusions in this area when you swallow. Reminder: Don't confuse
the Adam's apple with the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is
located further down on your neck, closer to the collarbone. You
may want to repeat this process several times.
- If you do see any bulges or protrusions in this area, see your
physician. You may have an enlarged thyroid gland or a thyroid
nodule and should be checked to determine whether cancer is present
or if treatment for thyroid disease is needed.
Symptoms and Facts about Thyroid Disease
- Hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid and hypothyroidism is
an underactive thyroid.
- Symptoms of hyperthyroidism are rapid weight loss, high blood
pressure, anxiety, and insomnia.
- Symptoms of hypothyroidism are weak or slow heartbeat; muscular
weakness; constant fatigue; weight gain; depression; slow reflexes;
sensitivity to cold; thick, puffy, or dry skin; slowed mental
processes and poor memory; and constipation.
- Goiter is another thyroid condition; it involves a visibly
enlarged thyroid gland, often causing difficulty swallowing or
breathing.
- Thyroid cancer is the fifth most common cancer in women.
- The number of new cases of thyroid cancer is growing most
rapidly among all cancers in both men and women, due to increased
detection.
Thyroid Disease and Pregnancy
Pregnant women should be aware of changes to their thyroid gland,
which can be affected by different levels of pregnancy hormones.
The thyroid hormone greatly contributes to the development of a
healthy baby, and it is important that expectant mothers be
properly diagnosed with and treated for thyroid disease. Otherwise,
they could be at higher risk of miscarriage or preterm delivery,
and their children may have developmental delays. For that reason,
thyroid function is routinely checked in pregnant women.
When it comes to thyroid cancer, a large number of women develop
this during their reproductive age. Since thyroid cancer tends to
be mediated by hormones in the body, it tends to grow faster when
patients are pregnant. There is no special cancer screening
recommendation for pregnant women.
Mount Sinai Is a Leader in Noninvasive Thyroid Treatment
Radiofrequency Ablation for Thyroid Nodules
Mount Sinai West is one of only two hospitals in New York State offering a minimally invasive
procedure to treat non-cancerous thyroid nodules that are
symptomatic and would have otherwise required invasive surgery for
removal. The procedure is called radio-frequency ablation (RFA). It
offers eligible patients a much quicker recovery, less pain and
risk of infection, and no scarring. With RFA, surgeons use guided
ultrasound to deliver radio-frequency current to heat up and shrink
the thyroid nodule. RFA can be done on patients with large
non-cancerous nodules that cause swallowing, voice, breathing, and
neck discomfort.
Patients who undergo RFA can return to normal activity the day
after the procedure and can exercise within several days.
Additionally, they are extremely unlikely to require permanent
thyroid hormone medication. Patients who have standard thyroid
nodule surgery typically can't resume normal activity for at least
a month and 20 to 30 percent of these patients require thyroid
medication.
"Radiofrequency ablation for thyroid nodules has been performed
in Korea for over a decade and throughout Europe and their outcomes are excellent. The
published data shows impressive nodule shrinkage rates of more than
80 percent with RFA that is maintained over years of follow-up,"
explained Catherine Sinclair, MD,
Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at the Icahn School of
Medicine at Mount Sinai and
Director of Head and Neck Surgery at Mount Sinai West. "Thyroid
nodules are very common and, although many people will never
require any intervention for their nodules, there is a significant
minority who will seek treatment due to symptoms. I expect RFA to
be a terrific new option for these patients."
Ethanol Ablation for Thyroid Nodules
Another noninvasive procedure, performed at Mount Sinai-Union Square, ethanol ablation is
when an alcohol solution is injected into thyroid nodules, killing
cells and causing the masses to slowly shrink. The procedure leaves
only a small scar and is performed in office with local
anesthesia.
"The candidates for RFA and ethanol ablation are very similar,"
says Maria Brito, MD, Co-Director of
the Mount Sinai Thyroid Center at Union Square. Dr. Brito and
Michael Via, MD, both Associate
Professors of Medicine (Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease)
at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, are two of only a handful of physicians in the
New York metropolitan region to
perform ethanol ablation.
"The procedures will not necessarily eliminate the nodule
completely, and patients will still need to have ultrasound
follow-ups to monitor the nodule," Dr. Brito says. "But in
appropriate cases, they are a terrific option. They make it very
easy for the patient."
About the Mount Sinai Health System
The Mount Sinai Health System is New
York City's largest integrated delivery system, encompassing
eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of
ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai's vision is to produce the safest
care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best
access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The
Health System includes approximately 7,480 primary and specialty
care physicians; 11 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more
than 410 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of
New York City, Westchester, Long
Island, and Florida; and 31
affiliated community health centers. The Icahn School of Medicine
is one of three medical schools that have earned distinction by
multiple indicators: ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World
Report's "Best Medical Schools", aligned with a U.S. News &
World Report's "Honor Roll" Hospital, No. 12 in the nation for
National Institutes of Health funding, and among the top 10 most
innovative research institutions as ranked by the journal Nature in
its Nature Innovation Index. This reflects a special level of
excellence in education, clinical practice, and research. The Mount
Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report's
"Honor Roll" of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nation's top
20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology,
Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Nephrology,
Neurology/Neurosurgery, and Orthopedics in the 2019-2020 "Best
Hospitals" issue. Mount Sinai's
Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked nationally in five out of
ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New
York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount
Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology, Mount
Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai West are ranked 23rd nationally
for Nephrology and 25th for Diabetes/Endocrinology, and Mount Sinai
South Nassau is ranked 35th nationally for Urology. Mount Sinai
Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's, Mount Sinai West, and Mount
Sinai South Nassau are ranked regionally.
For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find
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and YouTube.
SOURCE Mount Sinai Health System