Guest Author - Jim Lowrance
Over the past few months, Oprah Winfrey has given bits and pieces in regard to suffering from an illness related to her thyroid but lately, she is revealing even more in regard to it. This is really a great thing on her part because this will add public awareness to the subject of thyroid diseases.
The thyroid experts, including the AACE (American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists) have already expressed their belief that up to half of people who suffer thyroid diseases remain undiagnosed. This is due to both patients and Doctors, not having more awareness about thyroid disease symptoms and about the blood tests that easily diagnose thyroid hormone imbalances.
The AACE has estimated that approximately 27-million Americans suffer thyroid disease, which is a huge number and this makes people like Oprah Winfrey, that much more of an asset in helping to educate the public in regard to thyroid disorders. I'm hoping she will have shows in the future that are dedicated to the subject.
Oprah has stated in talking about her thyroid disease, that she has experienced hyperthyroid symptoms (sped up metabolism), that caused her anxiety symptoms and inability to sleep well for weeks at a time, followed by hypothyroid symptoms (slowed metabolism) which began causing her severe, ongoing fatigue and the need to sleep a great deal more than normal.
An Endocrinologist in New York, Dr. Samara Ginzburg of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, has been quoted in recent articles as expressing his belief that Oprah suffers from the thyroid disease called "Hashimoto's thyroiditis", also referred to as "Chronic Lymphocytic thyroiditis". This type of thyroid disease, is autoimmune caused, meaning it is caused buy an overactive immune system, that sends out killer cells called "antibodies", that attack and over time also destroy the thyroid gland. Medical research still has not found the cause for autoimmune diseases but some theories include the idea that it could be caused by childhood viruses that people commonly carry in their bodies, once exposed to them, for their entire lives. The immune system in failing to eradicate these viruses will eventually turn on the natural tissues that contain them, including the thyroid gland.
I, the author of this article, suffer from Hashimoto's thyroiditis and I can relate to the symptom phases Oprah Winfrey has gone through. I too went through hyperthyroid symptoms, including severe anxiety and sleeplessness, before experiencing the onset of hypothyroid symptoms, which caused me severe fatigue, very dry skin, joint and muscle aches and depressed mood. I know how this disease can affect people who are experiencing it and I am proud to see such an admired and highly recognized individual as Oprah Winfrey, coming forward with her own testimony about having thyroid disease. This may result in more Americans being tested and diagnosed, so that they too can be treated.
