Street Peeper Zimbabwe Street Peeper September 2017 | Page 52

You knew that there were some illnesses
that affect more women than men; breast
cancer and osteoporosis, for example, are
two diseases we hear about year in and
year out. gery. You may even have one yourself,
since, according to the American Thyroid
Association, about 12 or 13 percent of
women will be affected by a thyroid disor-
der at some point in their lives.
But what about the other ones? What
about the multitude of conditions that
moms, sisters, daughters, and grandmoth-
ers tend to develop more frequently than
dads, brothers, sons, and grandpas?
Women are prone to everything from Car-
pal Tunnel Syndrome to multiple sclerosis
to stroke, and it’s about time we knew
what to look out for. "Women are seven times more likely to
develop thyroid issues than men," says Dr.
Goldberg, "and women should understand
that the treatment is very important be-
cause the thyroid is responsible for regu-
lating metabolism."
Conditions like hypothyroidism (fatigue,
weight gain, etc.) and hyperthyroidism
(fatigue, weight loss, etc.) come with a
Thyroid Disease
host of symptoms that can be easily dis-
Odds are you’ve seen a woman with a
missed or mistaken for other conditions,
smiley face-shaped scar at the base of her making thyroid disease easy to overlook.
neck, a.k.a. the hallmark of thyroid sur-