A doctor on Wednesday last week advised young women who experience an abnormal heart rate, or have trouble sleeping or breathing, to consult a physician, as the symptoms might be due to hyperthyroidism.
Lee Meng-chieh (李孟潔), a doctor at National Cheng Kung University Hospital in Tainan, said she treated a 32-year-old woman surnamed Chiu (邱) who was unaware she had the condition until she was rushed to the hospital’s emergency room because she had breathing trouble.
Chiu’s mother and older sister also have hyperthyroidism, which is most often caused by Graves’ disease — thought to be brought on by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, Lee said.
Photo: Wang Chun-chung, Taipei Times
Women aged 20 to 40 who have a family history of Grave’s disease are particularly at risk of hyperthyroidism, Lee said, adding that such people should watch for the symptoms, Lee said.
An electromyography scan showed that Chiu had an excessively fast heartbeat, and an X-ray showed she had an enlarged heart and a buildup of fluid in her lungs, Lee said.
Further tests showed that she had hyperthyroidism and atrial fibrillation — an abnormal heart rhythm that occurs when electrical impulses in the heart fire off in a disorganized way — she said.
After two months of medication, Chiu’s heart and lung functions were brought back to normal, Lee said.
Chiu was aware her thyroid might develop problems due to the genetic nature of Grave’s disease, but forgot about the condition after seeing no symptoms, Lee said.
When symptoms began, Chiu erroneously blamed them on weight-loss medication, Lee said.
The thyroid is the body’s largest endocrine gland and is responsible for regulating metabolism, Lee said.
However, abnormal thyroid activity — whether it becomes overactive or unproductive — often goes unnoticed, she said, adding that this could be dangerous if the condition goes untreated for too long.
Symptoms of thyroid abnormalities to pay attention to include excessive perspiration, dry eyes, adversity to heat, excessively fast heartbeat, tremors and abnormal mood changes, she said.
When acute hyperthyroidism develops, a person can develop a high fever, acute breathing difficulty, dizziness or nausea, she said, adding that the condition can be fatal if left too long.
While hyperthyroidism cannot be fully cured, its effects can be mitigated and prevented from worsening with medication, Lee said.
Those with the condition are advised to avoid foods with high iodine content, such as seaweed, she said.
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