Your Face In The Mirror: A Reflection Of Your Health (NAPSA)—Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the healthiest of them all? Every morning most people look in the mirror to make sure they’re presentable for the day’s activities. Have you ever thought about looking in the mirror to check your health? Your face can give you clues that you may have an endocrinedisorder. Some of the symptoms of an underactive thyroid are dry skin, an enlarged thyroid and coarseness or loss of hair. If you have bulging eyes, this could be a sign of an overactive thyroid. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) has developed a simple method, the Neck Check,to look for an enlarged thyroid. Using a mirror, lean your head back and look at the area of your neck just below the Adam’s apple and immediately above the collarbone where your thyroid gland is located. Swallow a sip of water and check for any bulges or protrusions in this area. If you spot any, see your physician. Acromegaly is a rare, serious condition caused by the body producing too much growth hormone. The changes you might notice include thickened facial features, especially your nose; increased prominenceof the jaw or forehead; excessive perspiration or onset of acne during adulthood; swelling of your tongue; new overbite, underbite or spreading out of teeth; or manyskin tags. Women should look in the mirror for symptomsof extra male hormone. One sign is excessive Don’t look in the mirror in vain. Check for signs of serious condi- tions so you canhelp your heaitlh. hair growth in areas where most women don’t normally have much hair such as the upperlip, chin, sideburns or neck (some women normally have hair in these areas, so see if you stand out from other members of your family). Another possible sign of too much male hormone in a womanis scalp hairloss. Excess facial hair and late onset acne, especially associated with redness under the eyes and cheeks, can also be a sign of Cushing’s syndrome. These signs can be useful indicators but they are not a diagnosis. If you are concerned about any of them, you should see an endocrinologist who has special training in these areas. Visit www.aace.com or www. powerofprevention.com for more information.
