The whole point is in iodine

Transcarpathians are at risk of mental retardation, but people can prevent it relying solely on their own mind.
In daily routines few people pay attention to iodine deficiency in their bodies and to the problems caused by it. They react only when the disease catches them off guard. Pity, because it is necessary to control the content of iodine in the body, especially for Transcarpathians, because our region takes one of the top places in Ukraine for diseases of the thyroid gland, a significant number of which is due to iodine deficiency. Deficiency of this element in our body can easily lead to mental retardation of … an individual, family and finally the whole nation.

It is noteworthy that with the collapse of the Soviet Union we started paying much less attention to the overall health of the population in the independent Ukraine. Remember how at school, all children regularly received tasty miracle pills "Antistrumin" and "Spirulina", consumed Solotvyno iodized salt, visited camps at the sea-side. All this was enough to avoid mental degeneration of the nation in a few decades.
However, we know that today, no one cares of the prevention of endemic goiter on the national scale. However, in some regions, there are some attempts: they iodize dairy and bakery. But, according to the head of the health care of Transcarpathian Regional State Administration Roman Schnitzer, an effective way, which is already being used by the European countries and America, is iodization of drinking water. "But for us, unfortunately, it is only a subject for discussions", – he said.

Dose for intelligence

Life activity of the body entirely depends on iodine, which is needed to produce the hormone thyroxine. If a person does not pay due attention to this, sooner or later he or she will have serious health problems. At the moment, according to the chief endocrinologist Olga Oleksyuk, nearly 60,000 of our fellow citizens are registered with the pathology of the thyroid gland.

These problems occur at different age, beginning from birth. If a pregnant woman has a deficiency of the hormone, there is a threat of physical and mental immaturity of the child, strabismus and even premature birth. It is therefore particularly important to take iodine-containing drugs during pregnancy – a woman in this period requires from 200 to 250 micrograms of iodine per day. If the body cannot handle the load, the physician should assign an additional dose.

"Iodine is a trace element in the body which is responsible for metabolism and its activity. Iodine deficiency more affects children, because they have lack of mental development. This, in turn, leads to serious consequences – over time we may get not fully developed society. This is the biggest problem, which can be caused by iodine deficiency"- experts warn.
Iodine is especially needed by children during the growth period – up to 18 years. Students also require it since mental activity requires a lot of thyroid hormone.

"Zamok" asked the directors of various schools of the region, how they carry out preventive measures in their schools. Almost every one of the leaders acknowledged that this issue is given less attention than it used to, they say they have nowhere to find money for this. As it turned out, nobody cares about the mental health of schoolchildren. Although there still was found a cook in the regional center, who assured, that she cooks dishes with the addition of iodized salt. But, as we know, this doesn’t help. This trace element disappears during heat treatment, so it should be added only in the process of food consumption.

Be your own doctor…
In fact, doctors say that the best preventive measure of this trace element deficiency in the body is to use iodized salt. Olga Oleksyuk says that there is a lot of it in seafood, particularly in seaweed. Fish also has a lot of it. The means of personal prevention will also help, there are many of them nowadays: "iodine balance," "yodidfarm", "yodomarin", water "Jodis" and elements containing spirulins and elamin. Adult daily intake is 150 micrograms.

"If we do not carry out prophylactic with iodized salt, goiter occurrence is inevitable. Recovery of hormonal balance in the tissues takes at least two months. But all of us have to take preventive measures. It is worth noting that the thyroid tissue takes just as much of it as it is needed. And odd iodine just goes out with urine.

It is important to remember that deficiency of iodine in the body is indicated by a depressed mood, irritability, drowsiness, memory loss and frequent headaches. Such diseases as atherosclerosis, arrhythmias, increased blood pressure due to swelling of lower vascular walls may also occur. A characteristic feature of iodine deficiency is an enlarged thyroid gland that is goiter.

If the state does not pay enough attention to this, the doctor recommends controlling health ourselves through various examinations at least once a year, rather than addressing doctors when iodine deficiency has already led to a serious illness. "There are risk groups – people over 40 and obese patients – they have to get examined on hormonal changes in the body even more often. Particular attention should be paid to young people in puberty and pregnant women, – says the expert. – For pregnant women it is especially important, because it is for the health of the unborn child".