Concerns Beyond Appearance – Encouraging Sarah to Seek Medical Attention for Possible Health Issues

Concerns Beyond Appearance – Encouraging Sarah to Seek Medical Attention for Possible Health Issues

Sarah has several symptoms that suggest she needs to be reviewed by a medical doctor. From her explanation, it is evident that she does not intend to seek medical care, as she states that she will wear a turtleneck and take a nap, hoping she will be better when she wakes up. As her friend, I will suggest that she go to the clinic and get reviewed to rule out any underlying condition.

The symptoms Sarah should share with the doctor include dry hair, recent weight gain, swelling in the neck, mental dullness, general fatigue, and body malaise. These symptoms are in line with those of thyroid problems, more specifically hypothyroidism, an endocrine disease characterized by low thyroid hormone secretion, less than the body requires by the thyroid hormone. Notably, the incidences of this condition are more common in women than in males (Patil et al., 2024).

The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ located in the anterior neck region. Its major role is to regulate the rate of metabolism in the body. Swelling of the thyroid gland is a response to low thyroid hormone production, which leads to the secretion of thyroid stimulating hormone to stimulate the thyroid gland to produce more thyroid hormones. A decreased metabolic rate affects the rate at which the sebaceous gland produces sebum, which is responsible for the moist texture of the hair; hence, in this case, Sarah has dry hair. Reduced metabolic rate also plays a crucial role in weight gain in that a low amount of calories is burnt, leaving a significant amount to be stored as fats, thereby affecting the patient’s weight (Patil et al., 2024).

Low levels of energy production secondary to low metabolic rate may significantly affect the body’s cognitive functions in the brain, making Sarah experience mental dullness. Moreover, the body’s energy supply is minimal, and this is evidenced by Sarah’s state of being fatigued and having general body malaise (Patil et al., 2024).

References

Patil, N., Rehman, A., Anastasopoulou, C., & Jialal, I. (2024, February 18). Hypothyroidism. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519536/

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Initial Post Instructions
Sarah hates her new student ID photo. She feels like her hair looks dry and the recent weight gain she has had shows. She thinks her neck looks fat and swollen. She has just been feeling very run down lately and mentally “dull.”

Concerns Beyond Appearance – Encouraging Sarah to Seek Medical Attention for Possible Health Issues

She tells you, her friend, that she is just going to put on a turtleneck and take a nap in hopes it will all be better when she wakes up. You are concerned that there may be something else wrong. Should you suggest to Sarah that she go to the clinic and get checked out? If so, what symptoms do you suggest she share with her doctor and what part of the body do you think she may have a problem with?