Do you have a thyroid condition? Oprah was surprised that she does

Oprah Winfrey recently announced that she is suffering from a thyroid condition, an under-diagnosed problem affecting millions of Americans. The 53-year old talk-show host told her viewers, "I wanted so many other women who are going through the same thing to check yourself and recognize that ... it's an issue we all share in common." She also discussed the issue on her website:

"At the end of May, I was so exhausted I couldn't figure out what was going on in my life. I ended up going to Africa and spent a month with my beautiful daughters there, was still feeling really tired, really tired, going around from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what was wrong and finally figured out that I had literally sort of blew out my thyroid," Oprah says.

Oprah told Newsweek she turned to a book she keeps next to her bed—Dr. Christiane Northrup's The Wisdom of Menopause. (see link below). "I pulled out that book and realized that I was not alone. That 25 percent of perimenopausal and menopausal women experience some kind of issue with their thyroid at some time and most women don't know that that's what it is." (Women comprise up to 80 percent of the estimated 27 million Americans who have thyroid conditions and thus should be particularly aware of the condition, according to the Society for Women's Health Research.)

More from Newsweek Health:

Hypothyroidism, which Winfrey suffered from, results when the thyroid (a small butterfly-shaped gland located near the Adam's apple at the base of the throat) has stopped producing enough of the hormones that regulate the body's metabolism and normal body function. A range of symptoms may result, including: fatigue; weight gain; dry skin; brittle hair and nails; low blood pressure; irregular or painful menstrual cycles; depression; low sex drive; swelling or puffiness around the eyes, face, feet and hands; the appearance of a drooping eyelid; high cholesterol; hair loss, and a feeling of pressure in the neck. Conversely, hyperthyroidism results from an overproduction of thyroid hormone. Common symptoms include heart palpitations, nervousness, insomnia, breathlessness, trembling hands, weight loss (and in some cases weight gain due to increased appetite), hair loss, fatigue and light or absent menstrual periods. It is not uncommon for a hyperthyroid condition to eventually lead to a hypothyroid state, as it did with Winfrey.

Winfrey said she went "from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what was wrong" until she finally discovered the problem was with her thyroid. A simple blood test can be performed during an annual physical exam but patients may have to request it, says Mary Shomon, a patient advocate and best-selling author of the 2005 book Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't tell You. (Linked below).

Amazon links:

The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing During the Change

Living Well with Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You... That You Need to Know