Armenians lack iodine badly

Lack of iodine in water causes serious health problems in Armenia.

Investigation made by Gayane Mkrtchyan and Sara Khojoyan

Posted on June 22nd, 2009

The issue of shortage of iodine in water is considered a serious problem in Armenia, which, as a landlocked mountainous country, far from oceans and seas, is in the risk zone of IDD development (Iodine Deficiency Diseases) The lack of iodine in the human body can cause serious pathologies of the thyroid gland.

Because of losing major trade links in consequence of the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, the population of Armenia was deprived of iodinated salt.
Even though now salt is being iodinated (the existed standard is 40+/-15 milligram per kilo) in some regions of Armenia the problem is still acute, because the substance of iodine in salt is not enough to provide the required
amount of iodine.

This results in lack of hormones in the blood which is expressed by sleepiness; the work of the heart slows down, disorders of menstruation cycle which is followed by sterility.

Kurenkov, endocrine-surgeon of the Surgical Department at the ‘Goris Medical Center’ CJSC, explains what happens during hyperthyroidism or toxic goiter: “In this case the gland produces more hormones than necessary, as a result of which intoxication takes place. The heart starts working faster, the nervous system becomes supersensitive, a person feels frightened, s/he sleeps very bad and sweats all the time.”

This investigation was published 05.06.2009 by Armenia Now.

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