Medical News Summary: Hypothyroidism frequently misdiagnosed or undiagnosed
About: Hypothyroidism frequently misdiagnosed or undiagnosed
Date: 3 February 2005
Source: The Japan Times
Author: Hiroko Izumo
Medical News Summary (summary of medical news story as reported by The Japan Times): Excess thyroid hormone or hyperthyroidism causes heart palpitations and hypothyroidism can include symptoms such as tiredness, sluggishness, feeling cold, increase in weight, dry skin, dry hair, hair loss, constipation, menstrual irregularities, loss of concentration, forgetfulness and depression. Many people only exhibit one or two symptoms. These vague set of symptoms make hypothyroidism difficult to diagnose and subject to frequent misdiagnosis. Untreated hypothyroidism can greatly reduce mental and physical performance as well as causing high blood cholesterol and ultimately heart disease. Severe cases can result in a potentially fatal loss of consciousness or myxedema coma. A 45 year old woman took depressants for 10 years after she was diagnosed with depression and weight increase. She suffered from loss of concentration and developed swollen hands which she put down to rheumatoid arthritis. She was eventually diagnosed with hypothyroidism and treatment greatly improved her health and quality of life. In another case, a 62 year old woman was admitted to ICU due to breathing difficulties. She had a puffy face, low voice, slow speech and had gained weight. She had also developed congestive heart failure and her condition was diagnosed as hypothyroidism. Treatment alleviated all of her symptoms and even her heart failure was corrected. A 30 year old woman got no answers from a dermatologist as to why her hair kept falling out. A visit to an endocrinologist led to the diagnosis of hypothyroidism. A 76 year old man suffering from loss of concentration was misdiagnosed with senile dementia for a year before a physician visit for a leg edema led to a correct hypothyroidism diagnosis. Treatment totally corrected his dementia.
URL: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fl20050203a1.htm
Related Disease Topics: Hypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism, High cholesterol, Heart disease, Unconsciousness (see Syncope), Myxedema coma, Depression, Rheumatoid arthritis, Congestive heart failure, Senile dementia, Dementia, Leg edema
Related Symptom Topics: Tiredness, sluggishness, feeling cold, increase in weight, dry skin, dry hair, hair loss, constipation, menstrual irregularities, loss of concentration, forgetfulness and depression, swollen hands, breathing difficulties, puffy face, slow speech
Related Medical News Channels: This medical news summary article refers to the following medical channel categories:
- Obesity
- Overweight
- Diagnosis
- Misdiagnosis (type of Medical misadventure)
- Undiagnosed
- Diagnosis and hypothyroidism
- Diagnosis and hyperthyroidism
- Diagnosis and high cholesterol
- Diagnosis and heart disease
- Diagnosis and unconsciousness
- Diagnosis and myxedema coma
- Diagnosis and depression
- Diagnosis and rheumatoid arthritis
- Diagnosis and congestive heart failure
- Diagnosis and senile dementia
- Diagnosis and dementia
- Diagnosis and leg edema
- Diagnosis and tiredness
- Diagnosis and sluggishness
- Diagnosis and feeling cold
- Diagnosis and increase in weight
- Diagnosis and dry skin
- Diagnosis and dry hair
- Diagnosis and hair loss
- Diagnosis and constipation
- Diagnosis and menstrual irregularities
- Diagnosis and loss of concentration
- Diagnosis and forgetfulness and depression
- Diagnosis and swollen hands
- Diagnosis and breathing difficulties
- Diagnosis and puffy face
- Diagnosis and slow speech
- Undiagnosed and hypothyroidism
- Undiagnosed and hyperthyroidism
- Undiagnosed and high cholesterol
- Undiagnosed and heart disease
- Undiagnosed and unconsciousness
- Undiagnosed and myxedema coma
- Undiagnosed and depression
- Undiagnosed and rheumatoid arthritis
- Undiagnosed and congestive heart failure
- Undiagnosed and senile dementia
- Undiagnosed and dementia
- Undiagnosed and leg edema
- Undiagnosed and tiredness
- Undiagnosed and sluggishness
- Undiagnosed and feeling cold
- Undiagnosed and increase in weight
- Undiagnosed and dry skin
- Undiagnosed and dry hair
- Undiagnosed and hair loss
- Undiagnosed and constipation
- Undiagnosed and menstrual irregularities
- Undiagnosed and loss of concentration
- Undiagnosed and forgetfulness and depression
- Undiagnosed and swollen hands
- Undiagnosed and breathing difficulties
- Undiagnosed and puffy face
- Undiagnosed and slow speech
- misdiagnosis and hypothyroidism
- misdiagnosis and hyperthyroidism
- misdiagnosis and high cholesterol
- misdiagnosis and heart disease
- Misdiagnosis and unconsciousness
- Misdiagnosis and myxedema coma
- misdiagnosis and depression
- misdiagnosis and rheumatoid arthritis
- misdiagnosis and congestive heart failure
- Misdiagnosis and senile dementia
- misdiagnosis and dementia
- Misdiagnosis and leg edema
- Misdiagnosis and tiredness
- Misdiagnosis and sluggishness
- Misdiagnosis and feeling cold
- Misdiagnosis and increase in weight
- misdiagnosis and dry skin
- Misdiagnosis and dry hair
- Misdiagnosis and hair loss
- misdiagnosis and constipation
- misdiagnosis and menstrual irregularities
- Misdiagnosis and loss of concentration
- Misdiagnosis and forgetfulness and depression
- Misdiagnosis and swollen hands
- Misdiagnosis and breathing difficulties
- Misdiagnosis and puffy face
- Misdiagnosis and slow speech
- Medication
- medication and hypothyroidism
- medication and hyperthyroidism
- medication and high cholesterol
- medication and heart disease
- medication and unconsciousness
- Medication and myxedema coma
- medication and depression
- medication and rheumatoid arthritis
- medication and congestive heart failure
- Medication and senile dementia
- medication and dementia
- Medication and leg edema
- medication and tiredness
- medication and sluggishness
- medication and feeling cold
- Medication and increase in weight
- medication and dry skin
- medication and dry hair
- medication and hair loss
- medication and constipation
- medication and menstrual irregularities
- Medication and loss of concentration
- Medication and forgetfulness and depression
- medication and swollen hands
- medication and breathing difficulties
- medication and puffy face
- medication and slow speech
- cause of hypothyroidism
- cause of hyperthyroidism
- cause of high cholesterol
- cause of heart disease
- cause of unconsciousness
- Cause of myxedema coma
- cause of depression
- cause of rheumatoid arthritis
- cause of congestive heart failure
- Cause of senile dementia
- cause of dementia
- Cause of leg edema
- cause of tiredness
- cause of sluggishness
- cause of feeling cold
- Cause of increase in weight
- cause of dry skin
- cause of dry hair
- cause of hair loss
- cause of constipation
- cause of menstrual irregularities
- cause of loss of concentration
- Cause of forgetfulness and depression
- cause of swollen hands
- cause of breathing difficulties
- cause of puffy face
- cause of slow speech
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