Body Talk - 6th October

Thyroid conditions were the subject of tonight's show.

Mr Taleb Jeddy, General and Endocrine Surgeon from Spire Hartswood Hospital joined me this evening.

Unexplained weight gain coupled with a continued feeling of sleepiness can be symptoms of an under-active thyroid. An over-active thyroid tends to have the opposite symptoms, leaving you feeling tired, unable to sleep and you may sweat excessively. Both forms of the disease can affect all ages and are more common in women.

The thyroid gland can be removed if it is over active or if there is a lump, which could simply be an enlarged gland or possibly cancer. Mr Jeddy has been instrumental in pioneering the the speedy same day removal of this gland. In the past a patient would have expected to stay in hospital for three or four days. That must be good news, nobody likes to stay too long in hospital, and it frees up beds for other patients.

Under active Thyroid can be treated with thyroid replacement tablets.

So if you have any suspicions at all, then the best advice is, as usual, go and get it checked out. A simple blood test will tell you if any further treatment is needed.