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On a typical weekend movie night, people rush into the lively movie theaters.
Just as the tense plot reached its climax, a spectator suddenly collapsed with a heart attack, and the people around him rushed to call an ambulance.
This scene deeply touched Zhang Rong, a 59-year-old middle school history teacher.
Zhang Rong's attention shifted from the screen to her body. She recalls some of the recent discomforts, especially the feeling of chills when she wakes up in the morning.
In fact, she often feels cold to the bone in the morning, and the situation seems to be getting worse in recent months. Zhang Rong secretly thought to herself in her heart whether she should go to the hospital for a comprehensive examination.
Soon after, Zhang's condition deteriorated and she was rushed to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a local hospital.
After a detailed examination, doctors found that Zhang Rong had hypothyroidism, a condition that affects the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones, which are essential for regulating body temperature, metabolic rate, and heart rate.
Dr. Li, Zhang's attending doctor, explained to her that common symptoms of hypothyroidism include extreme fatigue, weight gain, and inability to tolerate cold, which explains why she feels unusually cold in the morning.
Dr. Li emphasised that middle-aged and older women, in particular, should be highly alert to these symptoms and have thyroid function tests done in a timely manner.
Dr. Lee went on to explain that patients with hypothyroidism feel cold in the morning because the lack of thyroid hormones leads to a decrease in basal metabolic rate, which affects body temperature regulation.
He further details the three main symptoms associated with hypothyroidism:
Extreme fatigue: Imagine waking up feeling like you've been run over by a truck despite a good night's sleep.
This feeling of not being able to keep up the energy is due to the lack of thyroid hormones, which are the "little helpers" in our bodies that help us stay active.
Without its help, our energy metabolism slows down and makes us feel tired forever.
Weight gain: You may find that you are not eating much and exercising, but the number on the scale is running upward.
This is the result of the trick-or-treating thyroid hormone deficiency, which slows down the body's metabolism and makes it easy to gain weight even if you don't eat much.
Depressive mood: Hypothyroidism doesn't just make your body feel tired, it can also lead to a decrease in mood.
This condition can manifest as being depressed, depressed, and sometimes not even able to tell why you're in a bad mood.
This is because thyroid hormones also have an impact on our mood regulation, which can make people feel depressed when they are insufficient.
Data provided by Dr. Lee shows that about 2% of women and 0.2% of men worldwide are affected by hypothyroidism.
Although the condition may be subtle at first, thyroid function tests with blood tests can detect it early.
Back in Zhang, her symptoms improved significantly after receiving appropriate medication. Her experience made her realize that for middle-aged and elderly people, the concern for their own health should never be relaxed.
The doctor also recounted the story of another patient who also delayed treatment because of the lack of early symptoms, and eventually his condition deteriorated. These stories highlight the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment.
The end of the article is not a traditional summary, but raises a question: since hypothyroidism is more common in middle-aged and older women, why is the current health check-up for thyroid function testing not routine?
To address this problem, we can analyze the existing health screening system, explore its shortcomings, and investigate why thyroid function tests are not widely adopted.
Data suggest that the inclusion of thyroid function tests in routine health check-ups is essential for early identification and treatment of hypothyroidism, potentially significantly reducing the serious consequences of delayed diagnosis.
What do you have to say about this? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section!