THYROID DISEASE

Read and learn more about thyroid gland. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: thyroid gland?
I can feel like a swollen gland in my throat, right where my thyroid is. i’m going to the doctor friday for something else and i’ll ask him but i was wondering if you all had any info. my neck isn’t swollen from the outside, my thyroid, by touch, feels the same on both sides (not particulary swollen like a goiter) and the feeling is on the right side. i can feel it when i swallow sometimes or when my head is bent down. just a small pressure, no pain. the thing is, i’ve felt this before, a few weeks ago but it went away. i’m wondering if it isn’t allergies or a cold virus but after looking at gland anatomy charts, it seems my thyroid is the only gland right there. maybe its a nodule? but wouldn’t i feel it all the time and not just on and off if it was a nodule?
so weird… let me know if anyone has any info on this
=)

A: I would get checked for Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism. The first one as you probably know, seeing as you’ve done some research, is when you have an over active thyroid. The latter is an under active thyroid. If you’ve noticed that you’re anxious all the time or it feels like your heart is beating fast then it could be Hyperthyroidism. There is no pain associated with Hyperthyroidism. Your gland will just feel swollen. Don’t let this go without getting your Thyroid checked because if it is Hyperthyroidism, it can cause you to have a heart attack if left undetected. At least that is what my doctor told me. If at all possible, go see an Endocrinologist. As I came to know, alot of regular physicians don’t know much when it comes to the thyroid gland so you are better off to see a specialist. Just ask your family doctor to make you an appointment with one.

Q: Thyroid Gland?
I have high activity thyroid gland, i have bit bigger breast than your average guy, i heard that increase in size is caused by the thyroid gland. is it true and what can i do to make them smaller. (I’m already on medication to decrease my thyroid activity)

A: gynaecomastia may or may not be caused by thyroid illness, stick to your pills, get tests done regularly and once you have been under control for a few months, 3-6 months at least then re evaluate your gynaecomastia, good luck

Q: Thyroid gland?
My Grandmother had an over-active thyroid gland.

My Mother has an over-active thyroid gland.

And now my Sister has one.

Should I be concerned about mine?
I’m male, if that changes anything.

A: Yes hyperthyroidism have familial tendency(40-50% more chance in another member of family).

Many asymptomatic indivisuals may have suppressed TSH,known as subclinical disease.

It is more prevelent in females (8 times more then males) but can affect males too.Thyroid related ophthalmopathy is more common and more severe in males.

Several environmental facors are also important like–Psychological stress,cigarette smoking,iodine intake,drugs and some infections.

You should get your TSH,free T3 , T4 and thyroid antibodies checked.

Q: Does your thyroid gland have to be swollen for you to have a thyroid problem?
I have all of the symptoms of a thyroid problem except a swollen thyroid gland. So does it sound like I have a thyroid problem or does it sound like a different problem?

A: No, it does NOT have to be swollen and you should NOT be diagnosed on a thyroid blood panel only! Especially if the doc only blood tests for TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone). If he/she does then run do not walk from their office. TSH is your body’s thermostat which is secreted by your Pituitary Gland.

I learned the hard way from experience and now due to doctor’s misconceptions I had to have my thyroid surgically removed. I missed thyroid cancer by a hair width. I will be taking 2 pills 3 times per day for the rest of my life because of doctors solely relying on blood tests. I had a sub-clinical thyroid condition (meaning blood tests within the normal to low normal range) which later resulted in a autoimmune disease thyroid condition. I should have been diagnosed based on symptoms, but it takes a doc with a lot of knowledge to think outside the 4-corners of their medical textbook and guts too. My symptoms began 15 years ago and it took 15 years to hit rock bottom for my disease to surface on blood tests but then it became an autoimmune disease and was TOO LATE. Autoimmune disease is where your immune system turns against you and it begins to attack your body.

Also, I found that specialists such as Endocrinologists were the least informed. I found that they were quick to push mental health drugs treating only the symptoms and not getting to the root of the real problem. Go to the library and SELF-EDUCATE, read all books by patient advocate Mary J. Shomon, Doctors Ridha Ahrem and Steven F. Hotze. Once you learn just how important the thyroid is to your body’s well being and how it functions, then you will be able to connect the dots. You know your body better than anyone.

If you can remember one key important fact which is that some/most doctors medicate using the T-4 hormone (a thyroid pro-hormone) only, but a patient’s problem could lie with the assimilation of the T-3 hormone (the thyroids active hormone). After T-4 enters cells it must be converted into T-3 which is the active active form of thyroid hormone (active OUTSIDE of your blood stream) it is what effects your mental health (depression), memory, fatigue, body temperature, muscle strength, cholesterol level, weight, hair, skin, nails, etc. A complete hormone panel is key too (estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol,melatonin). I prefer hormone testing using saliva over blood, which unfortunately, the majority of insurance plans do not cover. I feel it is money well spent.

Good Luck and Be Well.

Q: Is the thyroid gland considered an endocrine organ?
Why is the thyroid gland considered to be an endocrine organ?

A: Endocrine meaning it is a organ that should realease something to the outside like hormones. And Thyroid releases hormones.

So since it releases hormones…it is endocrine system.

Q: How does the thyroid gland effect diabetes?
I know that if the thyroid gland isn’t functioning properly, people with diabetes find it difficult to manage their diabetes. Why is that?

A: People with diabetes who develop hypothyroidism may find it hard to manage their diabetes. This is because the way their body uses glucose is altered.

Fatigue may set in and you won’t feel like undertaking any physical activity. This may lead to weight gain from the decreased physical activity and a slower metabolism.

However, once a person with hypothyroidism receives thyroid replacement medication, their thyroid levels usually return to normal, as does their diabetes medication requirements.

Q: How big is the thyroid gland in grams and cm?
I just had an ultrasound done today and my thyroid gland is 4.3cm. Is this normal or is it a little enlarged?

A: Normal depends on several things such as age, if you smoke, gender, etc., etc., but they are usually between 4-4.8cm. I have no idea how much they weigh.

Q: why is the thyroid gland considered to be the strongest gland in the endocrine system?
I need help understanding why they thyroid gland is considered to be the strongest gland in the endocrine system.

A: Hi from France ♫

It’s because it is the ” conductor ” of the glands in the human body..

Have a great day,

Cat;

Q: What happens if my thyroid gland has being removed?
when i was 13 i had one of my thyroid gland removed.

i think we have two thyroid glands and one of mine has being removed!

can anyone tell me what kind of side effects i could have with only ONE thyroid gland.

i think am getting less energy.

could you also tell me what kind of treatments i could have for thyroid deficiency?

A: You only have one thyroid, you just had one side removed.

Same thing happened to me when I was 15. I am 22 now and have no problems.

If you do have a thyroid deficiency (Hypothyroidism), your Doctor would probably prescribe you to Synthroid or Armour. They replace the hormones that the thyroid produces.

Q: What does an enlarged thyroid gland mean?
I went to the doctors this week for bronchitis. He mentioned that I had an enlarged thyroid gland. What does this mean? What causes this? How can it affect me? I have an appointment for a physical at the end of the month. I will ask my doctors these questions as well. I just wanted to see what others had to say about this.

A: The medical term for this is a Goiter. This can be cause by a generlized enlargement or asymmetric ( nodular)
There are a number of factors which may cause the thyroid to become enlarged. Common cause of goiter is an increase in thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in response to a defect in normal hormone synthesis within the thyroid gland. The thyroid stimulating hormone comes from the pituitary and causes the thyroid to enlarge. This enlargement usually takes many years to become manifest.

Your doctor will probably run a variety of tests on you. Starting with Blood work. They will measure your T4 T3 and TSH levels (thyroid hormones)
He may choose to send you for a ultrasound as well. Depending on the results of those tests, it could lead to others.
Alot of times people have goiters and not even know it.

Educate yourself on the thyroid and disease of it. I’ve provided some links that might aid you in this.

Best of luck to you…

Q: Does the thyroid gland have anything to do with depression?
I’m getting a blood test tomorrow for my thyroid gland and my doctor decided this after he diagnosed that I had a slight form of depression. Just wondering if the thyroid gland has anything to do with depression.

Oh and before you say anything to encourage me about blood tests, i’ve done it before, nearly passed out, but this time i’ll do fine with it.

A: i was told my thyroid was outta wack about a year ago… its not something you wanna hear when your 19 but oh well… and it not working properly can cause alot of things cause it regulates pretty much everything in your body from how fast your hair grows to “waste management” to your red blood cell count. so it is a very good idea to get it checked out cause you never know…

Q: What happens to TSH when thyroid gland is removed?
Ya for example an experiment animal, we remove the thyroid gland. My “theory” is that, if TRH is produced from Hypothalamus and it makes the Hypofize (sorry if I spelled wrong in my language) produce TSH, that make Thyroid produce T3 and T4, but T3 and T4 influence in increase or decrease of TRH, then if we remove thyroid, the levels of TRH should be decreased until stopped. Which is the right answer?

A: The question I think you’re asking is about TSH rather than TRH, right? TSH is the one we mainly look at (over T3 and T4 in screening, especially). If the thyroid gland is removed (whether surgically or through radioactive iodine ablation), and this is usually done because a person is hyperthyroid to the point that methimazole isn’t working to relieve the hyperthyroidism, then the TSH will go UP. A high TSH, as we know, indicates a hypothyroid state.

Q: How is life for athletes without their thyroid gland and on replacement thyroxine?
My doctor recommends that I have my thyroid gland removed because of a benign but large cold nodule. I am physically very active and I am worried that the replacement thyroxine will make me tired and that it may have other side effects too. Anyone out there who has undergone through thyroid surgery before?
I would like doctors opinion but mostly patients sharing their personal experience.

A: I am on thyroxine because of an underactive thyroid – takes a long time and lots of effort to get the dosage right, and then only if the doctors are willing to listen to how you feel, rather than the dreaded blood tests which according to them show you are fine! I have to say that I find the gym exhausting rather than envigorating which everyone else seems to feel. Also I have put on well over 16 lbs in weight which will not shift whatever I do. Try going to About.com and looking at the Mary Shames Thyroid site – sorry can’t remember the URL, but you can google it.

Q: What are 12 diseases/conditions in the endocrine gland that involve the thyroid?
What are 12 conditions and or diseases that happen in the thyroid gland that is related with the endocrine?

A: Thyroid cancer

Q: What type of tissue is the thyroid gland?
1.what type of tissue is the thyroid gland made of?
muscular, connective, nervous, epithelial.

2. True or False– Connective tissue cells are packed tightly together.

A: 1. Epithelial

2. False – most aren’t.