January is Thyroid Awareness Month, and the Women's Center of Methodist Medical Center is planning a special evening program this month on hypothyroidism. Elaine M. Bunick, M.D., an endocrinologist on the Methodist medical staff, will be the featured speaker.
The program is scheduled Wednesday, Jan. 21 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the hospital's main lobby. Pre-registration is encouraged because of limited seating.
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid does not produce enough of the hormones that determine the body's metabolic rate. The result is that the body slows down. The condition affects approximately five million people, with women being affected more frequently than men, according to Bunick.
Symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, cold intolerance, coarseness or loss of hair, hoarseness, goiter, delayed or sluggish reflexes, mental or memory impairment, and others. Standard treatment involves the use of thyroid hormone pills.
The Women's Center program on hypothyroidism is free and open to the public. To pre-register, please call 481-1828.
What's New? January, 1998