Q. I have hypothyroidism and take 125 mcg of levothyroxine per day. Over the past year I felt constantly exhausted and would fall asleep whenever I sat down. I tried taking vitamins, but to no avail. Checks show that my thyroid values ​​are normal.
Alina Moraru, Manchester.
Dr. Martin Scurr replies: Your experience – when blood tests show that thyroid hormones have been corrected, but you still feel tired – is not unusual.
Hypothyroidism is usually caused by the immune system attacking the thyroid gland, a gland at the base of the neck. As a result, the patient produces too little thyroxine hormone
Hypothyroidism is usually caused by the immune system attacking the thyroid gland (a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck). As a result, the patient produces too little thyroxine hormone, and assuming an artificial form – levothyroxine – will make him feel better.
But more often than not. We would then look at their levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which is secreted by the pituitary gland to trigger the thyroid gland to release hormones, including thyroxine.
High TSH levels are a sign of an underactive thyroid or, in patients already diagnosed with hypothyroidism, that their medication dose is too low.
Conversely, very low TSH levels suggest that thyroxine levels are too high – or that the patient is taking too high a dose.
But this doesn’t seem to apply in your case, so there may be another cause of your fatigue.
You’re not giving your age, but if you’re in your mid-to-late 40s, a possible cause could be a natural drop in estrogen levels. I suggest you discuss this possibility with your doctor: the right combination of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can provide relief from your fatigue symptoms in as little as three months.
Ask. I’ve been told I’ll be getting a pacemaker in three weeks. But I heard that I can’t have an induction hob because I have a small kitchen and can’t keep the required half-meter distance. Is this correct?
Marian Lazell, by email.
Dr. Martin Scurr replies: Thank you for this fascinating question about something that will affect more and more people if they receive implanted pacemakers or heart defibrillators.
An induction hob consists of a glass or ceramic plate over an electromagnetic coil. If an iron or steel cooking pan is placed on top, it will become hot
An induction hob consists of a glass or ceramic plate over an electromagnetic coil, one for each burner; electricity passing through the coil generates a magnetic field.
When an iron or steel cooking pan is placed on it, it becomes hot, a process called induction. (This does not happen if the pan is made of copper, aluminum or glass, as these do not have magnetic properties.)
The obvious concern for patients with a pacemaker – used to treat heart rhythm problems – is that the magnetic field in the hob affects its operation.
However, a pacemaker does not contain iron. And the magnetic field is localized; After all, kitchen utensils or other iron objects do not fly across the room when an induction hob is used.
A slightly different problem than the magnetic field is the electric current itself.
There is a chance that electrical current will leak, for example as a result of poor insulators. And this can be a problem with an older type of pacemaker with only one lead (these days they have two or three).
That’s because in this case the ‘circuit’ is formed by the tissues of the heart – if the pacemaker is implanted on the left side of the chest and the cook grasps the metal handle of a pan or other utensil on the induction hob, the current can disrupt the pacemaker’s function. However, developments in pacemakers and induction technology have changed things.
So why do patients still get the warning about induction hobs? It’s not clear, but I think it’s based on a lack of understanding of physics and is an instruction from manufacturers who are afraid of lawsuits. Another possibility is that this reflects the fact that a pacemaker can be affected by exposure to a magnetic field applied very close to the chest. Therefore, hairdryers and electric toothbrushes, for example, should be kept at least 16 cm away from the chest. , as advised by the British Heart Foundation.
I have tried it with my own induction hob and I think it is quite possible to cook and stay 60 cm away from the hob. I recommend that you follow the recommendations of your cardiologist.
Don’t be shy about buying hearing aids
Only one in five people with severe hearing loss regularly use a hearing aid. This seems strange considering that very few people with poor vision in middle age do not wear reading glasses.
Some people are overly sensitive to being seen with such important evidence of how old they are – although the latest technology makes aids almost invisible.
Another complaint is that when you first use hearing aids, your own voice echoes loudly in your head – or if you wear them alone in company or in a restaurant, there is an influx of loud and overwhelming background noise.
But with regular use, you get used to both, audiologists say.
And since poor hearing is linked to the risk of dementia, my advice would be to wear your hearing aids all the time, just as anyone who is nearsighted wears their hearing aids.
