<![CDATA[Jet Li looks almost unrecognisable in an image taken earlier this month.
The 55-year-old martial arts star was snapped by a fan while in Tibet, appearing to look rather frail and unsteady on his feet.
In the picture, Jet is smiling but it sparked concern amongst fans who know him best for his action roles and full head of hair.
The fan captioned the shot: “So, apparently, Jet Li is suffering from hyperthyroidism and spinal problems and this is him now.”
His manager Steven Chasman has responded to concerns over the image, revealing it is in fact just a bad picture.
He told The Washington Post: “He has hyperthyroidism that he’s been dealing with for almost 10 years. It’s nothing life-threatening and he’s dealing with it. He’s all well and good.”
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) is a condition in which your thyroid gland produces too much of the hormone thyroxine. Hyperthyroidism can accelerate your body’s metabolism significantly, causing sudden weight loss, a rapid or irregular heartbeat, sweating, and nervousness or irritability.
Several treatment options are available if you have hyperthyroidism. Doctors use anti-thyroid medications and radioactive iodine to slow the production of thyroid hormones. Sometimes, treatment of hyperthyroidism involves surgery to remove all or part of your thyroid gland. Although hyperthyroidism can be serious if you ignore it, most people respond well once hyperthyroidism is diagnosed and treated.
Hyperthyroidism can mimic other health problems, which may make it difficult for your doctor to diagnose. It can also cause a wide variety of signs and symptoms, including:
Sudden weight loss, even when your appetite and the amount and type of food you eat remain the same or even increase
Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) — commonly more than 100 beats a minute — irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) or pounding of your heart (palpitations)
Increased appetite
Nervousness, anxiety and irritability
Tremor — usually a fine trembling in your hands and fingers
Sweating
Changes in menstrual patterns
Increased sensitivity to heat
Changes in bowel patterns, especially more frequent bowel movements
An enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), which may appear as a swelling at the base of your neck
Fatigue, muscle weakness
Difficulty sleeping
Skin thinning
Fine, brittle hair
Older adults are more likely to have either no signs or symptoms or subtle ones, such as an increased heart rate, heat intolerance and a tendency to become tired during ordinary activities. Medications called beta blockers, which are used to treat high blood pressure and other conditions, can mask many of the signs of hyperthyroidism.]]>
