What are some myths about hormonal disorders?

Here are some myths about hormonal disorders:

Myth: Hormonal conditions have nothing to do with the immune system.

Fact: Some hormonal disorders are actually autoimmune disorders. For example, the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States, Hashimoto's disease (also called autoimmune thyroiditis), is an autoimmune condition. In Hashimoto's, chronic inflammation damages the thyroid gland, which then produces less thyroid hormone than the body needs to function normally. If you have Hashimoto's, you may be more likely to develop another autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Addison's disease, or type 1 diabetes -- or vice versa.

Myth: Everyone with a thyroid problem should be treated with iodine.

Fact: Taking in too much iodine may actually cause hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). Consuming foods or supplements containing large amounts of kelp or other seaweed products, or taking a medication with iodine (such as the heart drug amiodarone) or a cough syrup with iodine, will raise your risk for the condition. If your thyroid is overactive, your doctor may prescribe a treatment with radioactive iodine, which will cause you to develop hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). That will require you to go on thyroid hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Myth: All men over 50 should be on HRT.

Fact: While it might reduce some men's symptoms of andropause, such as decreased energy levels, sleep problems, and impaired concentration, it may not help other men at all. Plus, it could put you at higher risk for prostate cancer and other diseases.

Myth: Human growth hormone injections can help prevent hormonal disorders and foster antiaging in older adults.

Fact: While human growth hormone has been shown to produce a slight increase in muscle mass in adults, it may also raise your risk of joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other conditions, and possibly increase your risk of diabetes and prediabetes. Growth hormone treatments are also extremely expensive, and no studies have examined the long-term effects on or safety of growth hormone treatments for older adults.