A Singer's Story

This is Umm Kulthum. Or pronounced Ummu Kalsum. She is a great star of Egypt back in the 50's. She sang classical Arabic songs and was very talented; as she could reach both the lowest and highest tone possible. She was also a songwriter and an actress. She was born in 1898 and passed in 1975, after years of fame and great achievements. More than 3 decades after her death, she is widely regarded as the greatest female singer in Arab music history.

In a memory of her death, Egypt has built 2 statues of hers, one in Cairo and another one in Mansoura. I was told that Egyptians appreciated her contributions so much because she had helped inspiring previous leaders for freedom & peace. So she is also a nationalist.

Why talk about her?

Of course I'm going to relate her to medicine.

What's with her past medical condition?

She was known a sufferer of 'hyperthyroidism', a hyper-function of thyroid gland disease.

What is thyroid gland and what is its function?

Thyroid gland is a gland located in front of our neck. It functions to metabolize food, growth, increase sensitivity for adrenaline function, helps mental development .....

she kept wearing her dark glasses to hide her bulging eyes and staring gaze

Having this gland hyper-function, symptoms which may develop includes; awareness of heart beat, excessive sweating, hotness, trembling hands, weight loss, inability to sleep, staring gaze ...

This is the thyroid gland anatomy

Generally, people who suffers this condition could be treated by drugs, or surgery. But I guess there was no available drugs back then. Patients are always treated by surgery in her era.

She actually refused surgery to relieve her symptoms because surgical thyroidectomy (removal of the thyroid gland by operation) is the most common cause of unilateral vocal cord paralysis; from injury of recurrent laryngeal nerve or vagus nerve during the surgery.

Vocal cord is where our voices are produced. Its malfunction may cause changing of voice or as far as losing it. She refused to get this surgery done because of this known complication. (if she was u, would u rather die than risking your voice ? is it worth losing your life ?). Maybe she had her own reason(s). What would yours be?

She lived with this disease for most of her years and died of it. (hyperthyroidism give much burden to the heart. most patients died of heart failure)

vocal cord

staring eyes in hyperthyroidism

neck swelling in hyperthyroidism

Another disease regarding thyroid gland is its hypo-function, termed 'hypothyroidism'. Hypo-function of this gland causes symptoms like; weight gain, cold intolerance, idiot looking face, dry skin, depression, irritability, constipation...

Oprah Winfrey had this disease. She was diagnosed and treated, and she turns slimmer!