Exposure to PFAS can disrupt the hormone system, eventually leading to thyroid disease
Located at the base of the neck, the thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland responsible for producing hormones that help regulate the body's metabolism. It is a vital gland, as many body functions slow down when the thyroid fails to make enough hormones.
Approximately 20 million people currently live with thyroid disease in the country, over half of whom are unaware they have this health problem. Women are five to eight times more likely to develop thyroid disease than men.
If you are a veteran or a family member of one who lived at a contaminated military base, you should look out for these symptoms, which might indicate you have thyroid disease:
- swelling in the neck
- irregular or unusually fast heart rate
- twitching or trembling
- red palms of the hands
- hoarse voice
- warm skin and excessive sweating
- fatigue
- a raised, itchy rash known as hives
- weight gain
- patchy hair loss or thinning
- loose nails
- muscle weakness
- heavier menstrual cycles
- sensitivity to cold
- depression
According to a study from the medical journal Frontiers in Endocrinology, PFAS may disrupt the thyroid hormone system, with possible negative repercussions on the outcome of the pregnancy and fetal-child development. This is because the chemicals are endocrine disruptors. Exposure to PFAS can have multiple detrimental effects on endocrine function, including the thyroid one. Thyroid hormones are involved in several biological processes, such as the regulation of energy expenditure, growth, and neurodevelopment, starting from intrauterine life throughout infancy. Furthermore, they regulate metabolic processes in adult life.
The researchers concluded that although the role of PFAS as thyroid function disrupters is still controversial, in vitro studies seem to be in agreement concerning the harmful effects of these substances on thyroid cells. Some of the PFAS' harmful effects on thyroid cells include:
- accumulation
- cytotoxicity
- genotoxicity
- interference with TH synthesis
- interference with TPO function
- interference with iodine uptake
If you have one of the following thyroid diseases, either as a veteran who was stationed at a contaminated military base or the family member of one who lived there, you might be entitled to compensation. Still, to be eligible to file a claim, you must have spent at least one cumulative year at the military base.
- hypothyroidism
- hyperthyroidism
- Grave's disease
- Hashimoto's disease
Finally, exposure to organic solvents, which were also present in the environment of military bases during the last century, was found to have a significant association with thyroid disease. More specifically, formaldehyde, phenol, n-hexane, and chloroform have a connection with thyroid disease. Epidemiologic studies have shown an increase in thyroid hormone levels in workers exposed to organic solvents, which can be compared to service members exposed on military bases, as they would spend months stationed at these contaminated installations. Higher levels of thyroxine (T4) and free thyroxine (T4F) and lower levels of TSH and triiodothyronine (T3) were observed among people working with organic solvents. The disruption organic solvents may cause within the hormonal system can eventually result in thyroid disease.
