|
||||||||||||
Answer to Question #3479 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"Category: Radiation Effects — Effects on Tissues and Organs The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field: Q
I am now 61 years old. When I was a teenager (16-17) I received radiation treatments for acne. Since that time it was discovered that it could cause harm to the thyroid. I have had my thyroid checked only once, and the tests showed that it was a little elevated. Now I am having trouble with high triglicerides and they are going up even though I have been on medication for two years. I noticed that thyroid problems can be a cause of this. Is it possible after all these years that it has gotten worse? Ten years ago, I was diagnosed as having fibromyalgia. I noticed that a lot of the symptoms that I was having also fall under the category of hypothyroidism. I have not have had my thyroid checked lately and am wondering if it is possible that that could be my problem instead of having fibromyalgia.
A
It is well known that radiation can cause thyroid tumors, both benign and malignant. Children are more sensitive than adults. Recent reports have shown associations between therapeutic radiation and hypothyroidism. It seems reasonable that if you are hypothyroid, it may have been caused by your radiation. I also had my face irradiated as a teenager, for treatment of acne. Some ten years later I was diagnosed as hypothyroid. I have taken medication for this ever since. I should add that thyroid disease runs in my mother's family. Do you have any relatives with it? The remainder of your question concerns your specific combination of medical problems, which is beyond the scope of the Health Physics Society's expertise. Your personal physician should be the best source of additional information for you. S. Julian Gibbs, DDS, PhD
Answer posted on 2 March 2004. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.
|
||||||||||||
| Ask a Question • Search ATE & ATE Categories • If you have Web-related problems, contact our Webmaster. If you are lost, see our site map. This page last updated 19 May 2009. | ||||||||||||
