Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    A Simple Guide to Thyroid Disorders: From Diagnosis to Treatment
    A Simple Guide to Thyroid Disorders: From Diagnosis to Treatment
    A Simple Guide to Thyroid Disorders: From Diagnosis to Treatment
    Ebook257 pages1 hour

    A Simple Guide to Thyroid Disorders: From Diagnosis to Treatment

    By Paul Ruggieri, Scott Isaacs and Jack Allen Kusler

    2.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Do You Have a Thyroid Disorder?

    If your doctor has told you that you have a thyroid disorder, perhaps you feel some relief in having pinpointed the source of your troublesome symptoms. As you may know, thyroid ailments often elude a diagnosis since they may mimic other illnesses.

    Now that you have a diagnosis, becoming informed will help you receive better health care. The authors, specialists in thyroid treatment, can help you understand both the complex function of your thyroid and how your disorder can best be treated. In A Simple Guide to Thyroid Disorders, they take special care to lay out the basics in a reader-friendly way. Among the topics they discuss:

    medical tests you need to diagnose thyroid problems
    hypothyroidism...symptoms and treatment
    hyperthyroidism...symptoms and treatment
    coping with emotional highs and lows
    dealing with thyroid-related weight problems
    medications and surgeries for thyroid disorders
    thyroid nodules and cancers

    A Simple Guide to a Complex Disorder
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherIndependent Publishers Group
    Release dateFeb 1, 2012
    ISBN9781936374816
    A Simple Guide to Thyroid Disorders: From Diagnosis to Treatment

    Related to A Simple Guide to Thyroid Disorders

    Related ebooks

    Medical For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Butterfly Effect

      Nov 4, 2020

      The Butterfly Effect
      4 min read

    • Article

      Gut Healing 101

      Mar 20, 2020

      Poor digestion and bloating can be due to intestinal gut flora imbalance, ’dysbiosis’ as it is known. Naturopaths will often favour a three-phase, ‘weed, seed and feed’, approach. Eliminate the bad bugs (weed), introduce more of the positive ones (se

      2 min read

    • Article

      When PCOS Strikes

      Sep 3, 2018

      When PCOS Strikes
      2 min read

    • Article

      Living With PCOS

      Dec 1, 2018

      Living With PCOS
      7 min read

    • Article

      Everything YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PCOS

      Feb 4, 2021

      Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common hormonal disorder in women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS often have an imbalance of insulin and androgen hormones (such as testosterone). “The excessive insulin affects the normal functioning

      2 min read

    • Article

      What Was Inside Me?

      Sep 22, 2022

      What Was Inside Me?
      3 min read

    • Article

      Hack Your Beauty Hormones

      Feb 3, 2020

      Hack Your Beauty Hormones
      7 min read

    • Article

      Health Coaching For fertility

      Aug 20, 2021

      Health Coaching For fertility
      3 min read

    • Article

      Nurse Practitioners Can Do More Than You Might Think

      Oct 17, 2018

      Adults in the United States have a limited understanding of the basic duties that nurse practitioners and physician assistants can perform, according to a new study. “Odds are, if you are a new patient and have been to ‘the doctor’s office’ recently

      1 min read

    • Article

      The Butterfly Effect

      Aug 30, 2022

      The Butterfly Effect
      4 min read

    • Article

      Tackling Thyroid

      Jul 9, 2018

      Tackling Thyroid
      2 min read

    • Article

      Energy Medicine

      May 23, 2021

      Energy Medicine
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Butterfly Effect

      Nov 4, 2020

      The Butterfly Effect
      4 min read

    • Article

      All Change

      Oct 25, 2021

      All Change
      3 min read

    • Article

      Commentary: Barbara Ehrenreich On The Absurd Contradictions Of Trying To Age 'Successfully'

      Feb 15, 2019

      Barbara Ehrenreich, at 77, is learning to just say no – no to the kind of intensive, intrusive medical tests that may tell her absolutely nothing, no to the books and the nostrums that say that you can live forever or make your body grow younger, not

      8 min read

    • Article

      The Truth about Testosterone

      May 10, 2023

      The Truth about Testosterone
      9 min read

    • Article

      The Heart Doctor Will See You Now

      Aug 1, 2021

      The Heart Doctor Will See You Now
      5 min read

    • Article

      Is It Your THYROID?

      Dec 17, 2020

      Is It Your THYROID?
      3 min read

    • Article

      Is It Normal If…?

      Apr 25, 2023

      Is It Normal If…?
      3 min read

    • Article

      Mommy, Why Are Scientists So Confused?

      Jan 23, 2022

      Mommy, why is medical advice so contradictory? Perhaps not a question your typical five-year-old would ask, but if she did, go to the top of the class! She’d be right. We hardly know which way to turn when it comes to the amount of exercise we should

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Longevity Guru

      Apr 30, 2023

      The Longevity Guru
      9 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for A Simple Guide to Thyroid Disorders

    2.5/5

    1 rating0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      A Simple Guide to Thyroid Disorders - Paul Ruggieri

      Table of Contents

      Cover

      Acknowledgments

      Introduction

      Chapter 1

      Understanding Your Thyroid Gland

      The Thyroid Gland

      How the Thyroid Gland Works

      How Thyroid Hormone Is Produced

      Lock and Key Analogy

      How the Body Regulates Thyroid Hormone

      Risk Factors for Thyroid Disorders

      Gender

      Age

      Heredity

      Diet

      Environment

      Chapter 2

      Getting a Diagnosis

      Medical History

      Medication Review

      Physical Examination

      Common Diagnostic Tests

      Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Test

      Free versus Total Thyroid Hormone Levels

      Total Thyroxine (TT4) and Free Thyroxine (FT4)

      Total Triiodothyronine (TT3) and Free Triiodothyronine (FT3)

      Thyroid Ultrasound

      Referral to a Specialist

      Your Relationship with the Specialist

      Importance of the Specialist’s Experience

      Tests Commonly Ordered by Specialists

      Antithyroid Antibodies (ATA)

      Thyroglobulin Level

      Calcitonin Level

      Radioactive Iodine Uptake and Scan

      Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA)

      Direct Laryngoscopy

      Barium Swallow

      Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Neck

      Chapter 3 Hypothyroidism: The Underactive Thyroid Gland

      Types of Hypothyroidism

      Who Is at Risk for Hypothyroidism?

      Symptoms of an Underactive Thyroid

      Loss of Appetite and Weight Gain

      Fatigue or Depression

      Swelling of Limbs and Puffiness of the Face

      Forgetfulness, Difficulty Concentrating

      Dry Skin

      Brittle Nails and Hair Loss

      Goiter and Hoarseness

      Increased Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure, and Heart Disease

      Anemia

      Sensitivity to Cold

      Constipation

      Slowing Heart Rate and Congestive Heart Failure

      Stiff or Sore Muscles

      Allergies

      Increased Sensitivity to Medications

      Menstrual Cycle Changes

      Increased Frequency of Miscarriages

      Causes of Hypothyroidism

      Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

      Subacute Thyroiditis

      Postpartum Thyroiditis

      Reidel’s Thyroiditis

      Congenital Hypothyroidism

      Idiopathic Hypothyroidism

      Damage to Brain or Pituitary Gland

      Result of Treatment for Hyperthyroidism

      Medications

      Radiation Exposure

      Dietary Causes

      Chapter 4 Treatment for Hypothyroidism

      Thyroid Hormone Replacement

      Levothyroxine (T4)

      Possible Side Effects

      Liothyronine (Cytomel) T3

      Combination Thyroid Hormone Products (T4 and T3)

      Possible Side Effects

      Response to Medication

      Symptoms That May Require Additional Treatment

      Goiter

      Depression

      Hypothyroidism and Weight

      Chapter 5

      Hyperthyroidism: The Overactive Thyroid Gland

      Who Is at Risk for Hyperthyroidism?

      Symptoms of an Overactive Thyroid

      Rapid Heart Rate

      Nervousness

      Weight Loss

      Hot Flashes or Feeling Warm

      Diarrhea or Frequent Bowel Movements

      Goiter

      Bulging Eyeballs

      Depression and Mood Swings

      Muscle and Bone Weakness

      Changes in Skin, Hair, and Nails

      Menstrual Cycle Changes

      Causes of Hyperthyroidism

      Graves’ Disease

      Thyroid Nodules (Single or Multiple)

      Toxic Adenoma (Hot Nodule)

      Toxic Multinodular Goiter

      Thyroiditis

      Subacute Thyroiditis

      Silent Thyroiditis (Hashitoxicosis)

      Postpartum Thyroiditis

      Excessive Iodine Ingestion

      Overmedication with Thyroid Hormone

      Chapter 6

      Treatment for Hyperthyroidism

      Choosing the Best Treatment

      Antithyroid Drugs (ATD)

      Possible Side Effects

      Assessing the Effectiveness of ATDs

      Radioactive Iodine (RAI)

      Possible Side Effects of RAI

      Assessing the Effectiveness of RAI

      Precautions after RAI Treatment

      Surgery

      Hair Loss during Treatment

      Symptoms That May Require Additional Treatment

      Rapid Heart Rate

      Possible Side Effects of Beta-Blockers

      Bulging Eyes

      Weight Changes with Hyperthyroidism

      Insomnia

      Pretibial Myxedema

      Depression

      Chapter 7

      Thyroid Nodules and Thyroid Cancer

      Who Is at Risk for Thyroid Nodules?

      Causes of Thyroid Nodules

      Characteristics of Thyroid Nodules

      Types of Thyroid Nodules

      Single Nodules

      Hot Nodules

      Cold Nodules

      Complex Nodules

      Multiple Nodules

      Cystic Nodules (Thyroid Cysts)

      Solid Nodules

      Treatment for Hot Nodules

      Radioactive Iodine

      Antithyroid Drugs (ATD)

      Surgery

      Ethanol Injections

      Treatment for Cold Nodules

      FNA and Surgery

      Thyroid Hormone Suppression Therapy

      Thyroid Cancer

      Chapter 8

      Thyroid Surgery

      Who Performs Thyroid Surgery?

      Types of Thyroid Operations

      Thyroid Lobectomy

      Subtotal Thyroidectomy

      Total Thyroidectomy

      Preparing for Surgery

      The Operation

      Possible Complications

      Damage to the Parathyroid Glands

      Nerve Damage

      Other Possible Complications

      Recovering from Thyroid Surgery

      Recovering at Home

      Resuming Daily Activities

      Chapter 9

      Thyroid Disease and Pregnancy

      Detecting Thyroid Disorders

      Effects of Pregnancy on the Thyroid

      Hypothyroidism during Pregnancy

      Testing for Hypothyroidism during Pregnancy

      Treatment for Hypothyroidism during Pregnancy

      Hyperthyroidism during Pregnancy

      Testing for Hyperthyroidism during Pregnancy

      Treatment for Hyperthyroidism during Pregnancy

      Thyroid Nodules during Pregnancy

      Postpartum Thyroid Disease

      What Causes Postpartum Thyroid Disorders?

      Treatment for Postpartum Thyroid Disease

      Resources

      Glossary

      About the Authors

      Copyright 2004 by Paul Ruggieri, M.D. and Scott Isaacs, M.D. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information, write Addicus Books, Inc., P.O. Box 45327, Omaha, Nebraska 68145.

      ISBN# 978-1-886039-63-6

      Cover design by George Foster and Darcy Lijoodi

      Illustrations by Jack Kusler

      Typography by Linda Dageforde

      This book is not intended to serve as a substitute for a physician, nor is it the authors’ intent to give medical advice contrary to that of an attending physician.

      Ruggieri, Paul, 1959-

      A simple guide to thyroid disorders / Paul Ruggieri, Scott Isaacs.

      p. cm.

      An Addicus Nonfiction Book.

      Includes bibliographical references and index.

      ISBN 1-886039-63-1 (alk. paper)

      1. Thyroid gland--Diseases--Popular works. I. Isaacs, Scott, 1967-

      II. Title.

      RC655.R84 2003

      616.4'4--dc22

      2003016226

      Addicus Books, Inc.

      P.O. Box 45327

      Omaha, Nebraska 68145

      www.AddicusBooks.com

      Printed in the United States of America

      Acknowledgments

      I would llike to thank all my patients—past and present —for the privilege of being involved in their care. I would also like to acknowledge my patients’ family members. Their love, understanding, and support is vital for ensuring a healthy recovery for patients.

      I wish to thank all the nurses at Charlton Hospital on Atwood 3 and at St. Anne’s Hospital on 1N for taking care of my thyroid patients. I am also grateful for the editorial efforts of Dr. Charles Eils and Dr. Tamer Yacoub toward the completion of this manuscript.

      This book would not have been possible without the efforts of all those involved at Addicus Books. I especially thank Rod Colvin for his uncompromising focus and drive for perfection. I acknowledge Kate Maloy, Mary Campbell, Jane Kenyon, and Susan Adams for their editorial support; and I thank Jack Kusler for his work on the illustrations.

      Finally, I would like to thank my office staff at the Truesdale Clinic for their work and daily efforts in taking care of my patients.

      —Paul Ruggieri, M.D.

      I would like to dedicate this book to my grandmother, Minna Rothberg, who has been on thyroid replacement for over fifty years, and who has been an incredible example of how to live in harmony with thyroid disease. I would also like to thank all of my patients with thyroid disease, who have taught me about its many faces and how illness can be overcome. I would also like to thank my family, Sheryle and Howard Isaacs, and Lori and Chase Johns for their love and support. Finally, I would like to thank my staff at Intelligent Health Center and my office manager, Holyn Ivy for their daily efforts and hard work in taking care of my patients with thyroid disease.

      —Scott Isaacs, M.D.

      Introduction

      If you have been told you have a thyroid disorder, know that you are not alone. Every year, some 20 million Americans receive treament for thyroid problems. If you’re like may of those diagnosed, you probably have a lot of questions. You may wonder what caused the problem . How can your disorder be brought under control? What are the treatment options? What can you do to help yourself?

      In this book, you will find the information you need to better understand your thyroid gland. The thyroid exerts more power over the human body than any other glandular structure; simply stated, it influences every cell in your body. Every organ and every bodily system—cardiac, respiratory, reproductive, circulatory, nervous, skeletal—is affected by this small powerhouse.

      If you have a thyroid disorder, the good news is that most thyroid problems can be treated with conventional medicine so you can live normally. It is our hope that within these pages you will find understandable explanations of thyroid diseases and treatments to help you feel better.

      Chapter 1

      Understanding Your Thyroid Gland

      If you’re like most people, you may not have given much thought to your thyroid gland. Over the years, you’ve probably heard about other people having thyroid problems; but the truth is that most of know very little about this gland. In fact, we usually don’t feel we need to know much about it…until it causes us a problem. Then, many of us want to gain a better understanding of how this small but powerful gland can have such a dramatic impact on our health.

      One in ten Americans is affected by thyroid problems. And unfortunately, as many as half of those people have not been diagnosed. The reasons for the large number of undiagnosed cases include lack of public awareness about thyroid disorders as well as lack of knowledge about the thyroid gland itself. To lay a foundation for a better understanding of thyroid disorders, let’s first examine the thyroid gland and its function.

      The Thyroid Gland

      The thyroid gland is located at the front of your throat, just below your voice box (larynx). It is a light purplish-red, about the size of a hen’s egg, weighs less than three-quarters of an ounce, and is encased in a thin layer of tissue.

      Shaped like a butterfly, the thyroid has wings, or rubbery lobes

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1