Case Study of a Pathological Disorder: Hyperthyroidism

Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are easily confused because the words are so similar-looking. But knowing a bit of ancient Greek and using common sense can help your remember the difference.

Graves' disease, which is caused by a generalized overactivity of the thyroid gland, is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. In this condition, the thyroid gland usually is renegade, which means it has lost the ability to respond to the normal control by the pituitary gland via TSH. Graves' disease is hereditary and is up to five times more common among women than men. The triggers for Graves' disease include stress,

Hypothyroidism is not a disease itself, but is a condition that a disease state causes (Buckley & Schub, 2008). Many of the causes of hypothyroidism are related to autoimmune conditions, where the body attacks itself, rendering the thyroid useless (Raisbeck, 2009). In fact, this is the most common cause of hypothyroidism (Raisbeck, 2009). Second to autoimmune disease is overcorrection of hyperthyroidism by surgery or radiation treatment (Walker, 2009). Thyroidectomy is the third most-prevalent cause, usually for the treatment of cancer

The main cause of hyperthyroidism Graves’ disease which affects quite a few people in the general population. This disease is characterized as an autoimmune disorder. This means that the body makes antibodies known as thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin that bind and over activate the production of thyroid hormones [3]. So in essence the antibody mimics the thyroid stimulating hormone and when the negative feedback loop is in affect the antibody still binds to the thyroid and T3 and T4 are over produced [2].

Hyperparathyroidism is an excess of parathyroid hormone in the bloodstream due to overactivity of one or more of the body's four parathyroid glands. These glands are about the size of a grain of rice and are located in your neck. The parathyroid glands make parathyroid hormone, which helps sustain a suitable balance of calcium in the bloodstream and in tissues that depend on calcium for good functioning. Two types of hyperparathyroidism exist. In primary hyperparathyroidism, an increase of one or more of the parathyroid glands causes overproduction of the hormone, developing in high levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia), which can cause a variety of health problems. Surgery is the most common treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism. Secondary hyperparathyroidism happens as a result of additional disease that primarily causes low levels of calcium in the body and over time, increased

Hyperthyroidism , part of the endocrine system, is a the gland that makes hormones that controls the way every cell in the body uses energy. Your thyroid is located in the front of your neck where the collarbones meet. Having this disease can affect some vital signs. Having hyperthyroidism can cause heart palpitations and high blood pressure. Therefore, because of having this disease, blood pressure and pulse need to be checked and documented every visit. It is important to collect vital signs and note them because it could help diagnose a patient.

Hyperparathyroidism…is usually discover long before signs or symptoms of this disorder even begin to manifest themselves. When symptoms start to present themselves, they're are mostly resulting because of damage or dysfunction in other parts of the body due to high calcium levels that are circulating in the bloodstream and urine OR it could be because of too little calcium in bones.

Graves disease is the swelling of the neck and protrusion of the eyes resulting from an overactive thyroid gland. Women are five times more likely to suffer from Graves disease, the most common ages are between 20 and 40 ("Graves' disease." par. 1). It is common for people with Graves disease to get it after they have had an infection or they have been under a lot of physical or mental stress. Graves disease only affects around 0.5% of the population, but it is the underlying cause of hyperthyroidism about 80% of the time (Brent, Gregory A. par. 3). Hyperthyroidism is when your thyroid is overactive, this causes an increased heartbeat and metabolism. I found this topic to be interesting because I’ve never heard of this disease before. Its name caught my attention and when I started a brief search on the disease, I wanted to deeper explore the topic. Graves disease affects many people in many different ways, which can make it hard to diagnose. Many of the small symptoms add up to this dangerous disease

Thyroiditis is due to an abnormal synthesis of the hormone or excess ingestion (Burton, 2011). Hyperthyroidism can also occur due to viral infections such as a common cold, mumps and influenza.

Hyperparathyroidism is when the levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) in the bloodstream are above normal.

Chronic diseases such as hyperthyroidism can be debilitating if not managed well. Hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid gland that secrets too much hormones throughout the body causing many different clinical manifestations within all systems. The thyroid gland is located right underneath the larynx also known as the voice box, and straddling the windpipe.

As we all know, the body goes through many changes as it ages. One of these changes is related to the thyroid gland and its functions. The thyroid gland in the elderly will atrophy causing changes in its hormone production. According to an article by Makin, V., 2015, “Thyroid disorders affect more than 10 percent of patients over the age of 80. About 1.3 percent of those over age 65 developed overt hyperthyroidism with suppressed pituitary thyrotropin (TSH) and elevated free T3/T4 levels, and about 2.1 percent develop subclinical hyperthyroidism (SH).” Even though thyroid disorders can be common among the elderly, it is still hard to diagnose and treat because of its uncharacteristic presentations and the presence of other conditions that the patient may have. The diagnosis of hyperthyroidism is often overlooked and is less common in the geriatric population than other thyroid conditions. To inquire about the diagnosis of Hyperthyroidism in the geriatric population a real case of a 70-year-old female patient was selected from the Internal Medicine department of the University of Miami. To further evaluate, patient history of abnormality, the physical assessment that led to the identification of the abnormality, examination technique used, and possible expected laboratory findings and interpretations will be discussed through this presentation.

Since thyroid storm is merely the worsening of thyrotoxicosis, or hyperthyroidism, the pathophysiology is the same. There are elevated levels of thyroid hormones due to increased activity of the thyroid gland. Hyperthyroidism may be primary, indicated by elevated thyroid hormones only, or it can be a secondary issue to the pituitary gland in which there is elevated TSH and thyroid hormone levels.1 In addition, hyperthyroidism may more specifically be classified as Grave’s disease if antibodies against the TSH receptor are involved.1

The thyroid is a gland that is shaped like a butterfly located at the front of the throat and is responsible for regulating the body’s metabolism. The hormones that the thyroid releases affect every part of the human body from the bones, to the tissues and the organs. If you have an overactive thyroid (or Hyperthyroidism) this means that the thyroid is inflamed and releases too much hormones. One cause of this is Grave’s disease which is when the body’s immune system produces an antibody that causes the gland to make a ridiculous amount of the thyroid hormone. The problems concerning health that are caused by having an overactive thyroid are: shaking. Weight loss, anxiety, heart problems such as atrial fibrillation (irregular heart beat) and

The patient’s primary problem is hyperthyroidism with thyrotoxicosis with is also known as thyroid storm, which is the hyperactivity of the thyroid gland which increases the release of thyroid hormones. The pathophysiology of hyperthyroidism is when a person develops antibodies to TSH receptors which then in return it stimulates a release of T3, T4 or both which leads to thyrotoxicosis. Thyrotoxicosis is a hyper metabolism of T3, T4 or both in circulation. It is reflected in the patients clinical presentation by the significant physical findings