GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PIA) – Are you really sure that eating food rich in iodine can prevent thyroid disease? Think again!

“Hindi totoong kailangang kumain ng maraming [iodine-rich] seafood para hindi magkaroon ng goiter o para lumiit ang goiter [It's not true that you need to eat a lot of seafood to avoid goiters or reduce the size of your goiters]," said Dr. Nestor Eric Laplano, an endocrinologist and member of the National Thyroid Technical Working Group, who was part of the ThyroMobile medical mission team who recently visited General Santos City for the observance of "Goiter Awareness Week.”

Laplano urged people to have an early check-up to detect the symptoms, such as throat tightness, cough, voice hoarseness, trouble swallowing, and difficulty breathing, among others.

Thyroid disease prevents the thyroid from producing proper amounts of the hormones T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine), which are known to play an important role in the regulation of weight, energy levels, internal temperature, skin, hair, nail growth, and metabolism.

He explained that there are four types of problems with the thyroid: goiter, lump, hyperthyroidism, and hypothyroidism, emphasizing the need for early detection, especially when there is a lump or nodule, which can even be a sign of a bigger issue such as cancer.

Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, however, are the two primary types of thyroid disease. Laplano also emphasized that consuming too much iodine can induce hyperthyroidism, while a lack of it causes hypothyroidism.

Laplano said when the thyroid gland gets enlarged, it is called goiter.

“Hindi ibig sabihin 'ay, wala naman akong nakikita na goiter, wala akong sakit sa thyroid. Hindi! [The absence of a visible goiter doesn't necessarily imply the absence of thyroid disease],” he warned.

“Kunwari, ay wala siyang goiter. Pero meron pang tatlo na sakit sa thyroid. Pwedeng may bukol siya na maliit, kasinliit ng munggo o ng mais. O kaya naka-hyper siya. O hypo. Baka hypo, tamad yung thyroid niya [Suppose he doesn't have a goiter. However, there are three more thyroid illnesses. He may have a tiny lump about the size of a bean or corn. He might have hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism],” Laplano went on to explain.

He also attributed the disease to the medical condition of diabetes and diet as potential risks, prodding people to eat foods in moderation only.

Based on the study, thyroid disease is also hereditary, meaning that if there are members of the family who already have the disease, there is a greater likelihood that it can be passed on to the next family members. It further said that it can affect anyone—elderly, men, women, teenagers, and even infants.

Former overseas Filipino worker Myles Arriola, a 55-year-old residing in Barangay San Isidro, General Santos City, shared her pain and discomfort with her goiter during the Thyromobile visit on Monday, Jan. 22, at the Veranza Mall, where many people availed of the free thyroid screening and consultation services provided by the mobile health clinic as well as listened to lectures and information imparted by medical experts who are members of the Philippine Thyroid Association.

"Pinapa-check ko lang. Actually, ilang opinion na ang sino-solicit ko up to this time. Kasi na-diagnose ito since 2011, pero continuous naman yung treatment. [I'm just having it checked. Actually, I've sought several opinions up to this time, but my treatment continues],” she told the Philippine Information Agency.

Arriola expressed how attending the ThyroMobile clinic encouraged her to take a step forward towards caring for her health, saying that she had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism for 11 years already.

“Buo na ‘yung loob ko na tanggalin na talaga, ready na ako for surgery, kasi parang nawala na yung fear ko maliban na lang kung mayroong miracle, total ginagawa ko naman ang lahat [My heart is full to have it removed, I'm ready for surgery because my fear seems to have disappeared unless there will be a miracle, I'm totally doing everything], and of course prayer too,” she said, adding that she has decided to schedule the surgery in May this year.

Mindanao State University-College of Medicine Associate Dean Analyza Galia-Gabuay, also an endocrinologist and internist, said thyroid disease takes about two years or even longer to treat. 

The disease, she said, can be treated through a doctor-prescribed oral medication or surgery, depending on the severity of the condition.

Meanwhile, Dr. Teofilo San Luis, country representative of Iodine Global Network and the national coordinator of ThyroMobile Philippines, urged everyone to conduct self-examinations, which involve checking certain parts of the body regularly.

"Kayo mismo kapain ninyo yung mga kasambahay ninyo, mga kamag-anak ninyo, para malaman agad [You yourself should check on your housemates, your relatives, to find out]—that's early recognition," he explained.

Led by the Department of Health, Goiter Awareness Week is observed every fourth week of January by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 1188, signed on December 11, 2016, which aims to raise awareness among the populace about how thyroid disease can be prevented from progressing and getting worse when diagnosed and treated early.

Aside from the Department of Health in the Soccsksargen region and the General Santos City Health Office, the ThyroMobile activity was also in partnership with the Iodine Global Network, Salinas Foods, Inc., the Philippine Thyroid Association, Thyroid Federation International, the Rotary Club of University District Manila, Merck, Inc., and the GMA Kapuso Foundation. (HJPF/CT Apelacio - PIA SarGen)