Do you have an iodine deficiency? Truths and Myths

Contemporary medicine distinguishes about 20 thyroid diseases. Most of these diseases, according to experts, happen because of deficiency of iodine – an important microelement, responsible for the normal functioning of thyroid gland, maintenance of hormonal balance and normal brain function.

How to estimate, whether there is an iodine deficiency in the body? Doctor Edward Toromanyan, PhD and Associate Professor, the chief endocrinologist of the Ministry of Health of Armenia, helped to answer that question in his interview with the correspondent of NEWS.am Medicine.

First of all, doctor Toromanyan noted, that thyroid diseases are very common in Armenia, because the main source of the iodine is the sea water which evaporates and enters the land, water and into the fruits and vegetables. There is no sea in Armenia and the mountains close us from sea winds, that is why the ground and water in our country are not enriched with iodine.

So how do you determine if there is a deficiency of iodine in the body?

According to doctor Toromanyan, today there are many popular methods of determining the lack of iodine in the body, and many rely on these methods, but, alas, most of them are unreasonable and cannot give any idea about the state of the body or thyroid.

How you SHOULD NOT determine, whether there is iodine deficiency or not?

Probably you already have heard, that it is possible to apply an iodine mesh to the skin and pay attention, how fast it is absorbed: people believe, that if iodine is absorbed quickly, then there is an iodine deficiency in the body, and if the red stripes remain on the skin for a long time, then there seems not to be a problem.

This method is very popular with people who are far from medicine, but specialists usually smile when hearing this. “Of course, it is impossible to detect the iodine deficiency by this method” explains doctor Toromanyan. “How fast is the iodine absorbed depends only on the human skin”.

So how is actually possible to see if there is iodine deficiency?

People's methods of detecting iodine deficiency in the body and thyroid condition are not very accurate. Then how is it possible to know about such problems? This can be done only by specialist, who will palpate the thyroid gland of the patient. If the gland is enlarged, the doctor will send the patient for ultrasound and, if necessary, do some hormonal analyzes to help determine exactly whether the patient has a problem with the thyroid gland, and if so, what kind of a problem.

3 degrees of thyroid enlargement

Doctor Toromanyan explained, that according to the classification by the World Health Organisation (WHO) there are 3 degrees of thyroid enlargement. In Armenia and most of the countries worldwide, this classification is used:

• 0 degree – thyroid gland is healthy and not enlarged; doctor does not detect any problems during the palpation at patient's neck;

• 1st degree – thyroid gland is a little enlarged. This cannot be seen, but the specialist feels during the palpation, that the gland is enlarged;

• 2nd degree – thyroid gland is enlarged.

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