Thousands of people across the UK are waiting years to get a diagnosis for thyroid problems, a new study has revealed. It's thought that one in 20 people in the UK suffer from a thyroid problem - but because the symptoms overlap with a range of other conditions, it can take years for the health condition to be diagnosed.
A new study by academics at the University of Aberdeen in collaboration with several leading thyroid charities found that it takes an average of 4.5 years for a thyroid condition to be diagnosed reports Chronicle Live. The study, which looked at the experience of almost 1,200 patients, found that in almost two thirds of cases it took multiple appointments and a worsening of the severity of symptoms before a diagnosis was made.
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, just in front of the windpipe (trachea). It produces hormones that affect things such as your heart rate and body temperature - one of its main functions is to produce hormones that help regulate the body's metabolism, the process that turns food into energy.
