cUrE 4 ThyRoiD

THYROID

Thyroid gland is a small mass of tissue present on either side of the trachea or windpipe. It is a very important structure that helps in the metabolism of the body.

When the basal metabolism is below normal, a person tends to be slow in his movements. He feels cold more and may have marked dryness of the skin, along with constipation and a tendency to put on weight. His hair is dry, thin, and coarse and the skin appears dry, scaly and thickened. There may be puffiness in the face, especially around the eyes. The tongue is usually large, the pulse is slow and regular, and the patient often complains of vague pains in the back and stiffness in the joints.

Hypothyroidism: It is a condition that results from the insufficient amount of thyroid hormone in the body. The trouble may also develop from pituitary deficiency, but is more likely due to some inborn error of the thyroid gland. The change usually comes gradually and involves the patient’s personality and also his ability to think.

Hypothyroidism is seen in both sexes, but is more common in women. Most of these are overweight and may complain of heavy flow during menstruation. The heart is often enlarged, and there is high level of cholesterol in the blood stream.

Hyperthyroidism: It is also known as Grave’s disease or thyrotoxicosis. It is a serious condition of the body, arising from too much activity of the thyroid gland. The increased amounts of thyroid hormone produced by the overactive gland will then raise the metabolic rate of the body.

It is mainly present in the age group of 20 –30 years of age. It is more frequent in males but is more dangerous in females. Violent emotions, fear, anger and grief are thought to be exciting causes. Prolonged lactation, or diarrhea, excessive mental work is predisposing causes. Other important causes may include heredity, traumatism, physical strain, mental overwork, toxemias, and dysfunction of the internal glands especially the adrenals.

As a result of the tachycardia myocardial degeneration may result. The orbital adipose is increased; also an increase of blood and lymph in the orbit. The enlargement of thyroid is due to marked dilatation of its blood vessels, especially the arteries.

“A peculiar disease combining three characteristic conditions namely: protrusion of the eyeballs, enlargement of the thyroid gland and functional disturbances of the heart. The neurotic symptoms are the early to appear. The tremors, which are involuntary and fine, may number from 425 to 500 per minute.

Palpitation of the heart, which accompanies the tachycardia, is at first light but increases rapidly, usually brought on and always aggravated by mental excitement. The heart beat runs from 100 to 160. Symptoms of neurasthenia may be present. Great excitability, mental depression and melancholia are frequent symptoms.

Exophatalamus varies in different patients. Immobility of the upper lid, a white line is noticeable above and below the cornea and marked dryness of the membrane is the important eye symptoms. Abnormalities of the optic nerve are rare. Ulcers of the cornea may also occasionally occur. The arteries of the retina may pulsate with the heartbeat.

The skin symptoms are: slight rise of temperature, sometimes profuse sweating, urticaria, pruritis, in advanced cases edema, especially of the ankles, frequent flushing of the face, epistaxis, vomiting and purging.

A patient with this disease is usually nervous, weak, sensitive to heat, sweats frequently, is overactive and often underweight, inspite of an increased appetite. The patient eats healthy but continues to lose weight because of the higher rate of metabolism in the body.

HOME REMEDIES FOR THYROID GLAND PROBLEMS

• Kelp Sea Weed is an excellent antioxidant and contains iodine to assist thyroid function.
• L-Tyrosine is an amino acid that helps increases plasma levels, helps with weight loss and is a crucial building block of thyroid hormone.
• Spirulina is very useful for maintaning the over all health.
• Take Vitamin B Complex. It improves cellular oxygenation and energy, and helps with digestion, immune and thyroid function.
• Primrose Oil, is an essential fatty that is important for proper thyroid function. One of the useful home remedies for thyroid gland.
• Bladderwrack is high in iodine, which is beneficial for hypothyroidism.
• Irish Moss nourishes the thyroid and is useful for thyroid gland problem.
• Agnus Castus supports the pituitary gland and helps balance estrogen, which is known to interfere with normal thyroid function.
• Black Cohosh helps balance estrogen levels and may be useful in thyroid conditions.
• Siberian Ginseng helps the adrenal and thymus glands, which help support thyroid health. This is very effective home remedy for thyroid gland.
• Black walnut is rich in organic iodine and manganese that nourishes and strengthens thyroid function. This is one of the best home remedies for thyroid gland
• Mullein covers and protects tissues and reduces swelling in glands.
• Calcium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, neodynium, terbium, thullium are minerals and trace elements necessary for the good functioning of important metabolic reactions in the thyroid.
• Take low calorie foods and it is important to cut down on cakes, biscuits, sweets and alcoholic drinks that are relatively high in calories, but low in nutrients.
• Increase your physical activity.
• Continue to be cheerful and enjoy your life.
• Eat foods rich in vitamin A, such as yellow vegetables, eggs, carrots, and dark green vegetables for thyroid gland cure.
• Iodine rich foods that nourish the thyroid are: fish and sea vegetables such as: arame, kelp, dulse, hijike, nori, wakame, and kombu. Seaweeds are very nourishing to the glands.

Reference:

· Concise encyclopedia of foods & nutrition. 2nd ed. By M.E. Ensminger. CRC Press, 1995.

· Modern nutrition in health and disease. 10th ed. Maurice Shils, et. al. 2005.

· The best alternative medicine: what works? what does not? Kenneth R. Pelletier. Simon & Schuster Fireside.

· Green pharmacy herbal handbook: Your comprehensive reference to the best herbs for healing. James Duke. Rodale, 2000.

hOw DoCTorS LooT U?

How Indian Doctors Loot Patients.

Most of these observations are either completely or partially true. Corruption has many names, and one of civil society isn't innocent either. Professionals and businessmen of various sorts indulge in unscrupulous practices. I recently had a chat with some doctors, surgeons and owners of nursing homes about the tricks of their trade. Here is what they said

1) 40-60% kickbacks for lab tests.

When a doctor (whether family doctor / general physician, consultant or surgeon) prescribes tests - pathology, radiology, X-rays, MRIs etc. - the laboratory conducting those tests gives commissions. In South and Central Mumbai -- 40%. In the suburbs north of Bandra -- a whopping 60 per cent! He probably earns a lot more in this way than
the consulting fees that you pay.

2) 30-40% for referring to consultants, specialists & surgeons. When your friendly GP refers you to a specialist or surgeon, he gets 30-40%.

3) 30-40% of total hospital charges. If the GP or consultant recommends hospitalization, he will receive kickback from the private nursing home as a percentage of all charges including ICU, bed, nursing care, surgery.

4) Sink tests. Some tests prescribed by doctors are not needed. They are there to inflate bills and commissions. The pathology lab understands what is unnecessary. These are called "sink tests"; blood, urine, stool samples collected will be thrown.

5) Admitting the patient to "keep him under observation". People go to cardiologists feeling unwell and anxious. Most of them aren't really having a heart attack, and cardiologists and family doctors are well aware of this. They admit such safe patients, put them on a saline drip with mild sedation, and send them home after 3-4 days after charging them a fat amount for ICU, bed charges, visiting doctors fees.

6) ICU minus intensive care. Nursing homes all over the suburbs are run by doctor couples or as one-man-shows. In such places, nurses and ward boys are 10th cl-ass drop-outs in ill-fitting uniforms and bare feet. These "nurses" sit at the reception counter, give injections and saline drips, perform ECGs, apply dressings and change bandages, and assist in the operation theatre. At night, they even sit outside the Intensive Care Units; there is no resident doctor. In case of a crisis, the doctor -- who usually lives in the same building -- will turn up after 20 minutes, after this nurse calls him. Such ICUs admit safe patients to fill up beds. Genuine patients who require emergency care are sent elsewhere to hospitals having a Resident Medical Officer (RMO) round-the-clock.

7) Unnecessary caesarean surgeries and hysterectomies. Many surgical procedures are done to keep the cash register ringing. Caesarean deliveries and hysterectomy (removal of uterus) are high on the list. While the woman with labour -pains is screaming and panicking, the obstetrician who gently suggests that caesarean is best seems like an angel sent by God! Menopausal women experience bodily changes that make them nervous and gullible. They can be frightened by words like " and "fibroids" that are in almost every normal woman's radiology reports. When a gynaecologist gently suggests womb removal "as a precaution", most women and their husbands agree without a second's thought.

8) Cosmetic surgery advertised through newspapers. Liposuction and plastic surgery are not minor procedures. Some are life-threateningly major. But advertisements make them appear as easy as facials and waxing. The Indian medical council
has strict rules against such misrepresentation. But nobody is interested in taking action.

9) Indirect kickbacks from doctors to prestigious hospitals. To be on the panel of a prestigious hospital, there is give-and-take involved. The hospital expects the doctor to refer many patients for hospital admission. If he fails to send a certain number of patients, he is quietly dumped. And so he likes to admit patients even when there is no need.

10) Emergency surgery" on dead body. If a surgeon hurriedly wheels your patient from the Intensive Care Unit to the operation theatre, refuses to let you go inside and see him, and wants your signature on the consent form for "an emergency operation to save his life", it is likely that your patient is already dead. The "emergency operation" is for inflating the bill; if you agree for it, the surgeon will come out 15 minutes later and report that your patient died on the operation table. And then, when you take delivery of the dead body, you will pay OT charges, anaesthesiologist's charges, blah-blah-

Doctors are humans too. You can't trust them blindly. Please understand the difference.

Young surgeons and old ones. The young ones who are setting up nursing home etc. have heavy loans to settle. To pay back the loan, they have to perform as many operations as possible. Also, to build a reputation, they have to perform a large number of operations and develop their skills. So, at first, every case seems fit for cutting. But with age, experience and prosperity, many surgeons lose their taste for cutting, and stop recommending operations.

Physicians and surgeons. To a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Surgeons like to solve medical problems by cutting, just as physicians first seek solutions with drugs. So, if you take your medical problem to a surgeon first, the chances are that you will unnecessarily end up on the operation table. Instead, please go to an ordinary GP first