Hyperthyroidism Of The Geriatric Patient

My grandmother suffered with thyroid and use to always ask me if I had thyroids. I remember a time when she told me to get a quarter and some iodine to put on my stomach above my navel. She told me if it changed colors that I had thyroids. Also, because I felt so drained most of the time and would swell in my body often, she had me to consult with my physician about the matter. My grandmother was a very intelligent woman that was very health conscience about herself and her family.

Graves ' disease is an immune system disorder that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism). The thyroid gland is an important organ of the endocrine system. The gland is located at the front of the neck above where the collarbones meet. This gland releases the hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which control body metabolism. Controlling metabolism is important for regulating mood, weight, and mental and physical energy levels. When the body makes too much thyroid hormone, the condition is called hyperthyroidism. Graves disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism and is most common in women over age 20. But the disorder can occur at any age and can affect men as well. Some of the symptoms of Graves diseases are

My patient is a 30-year-old mother of two who presented with symptoms of fatigue, cold intolerance, and tearfulness. She was later diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis six months after the birth of her second child. With the addition of a thyroid hormone, prescribed by her doctor, the patient is doing well and living an active life with her husband and two children.

According to The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis begins with a physical exam and medical history. A goiter, nodules, or growths may be found during a physical exam, and symptoms may suggest hypothyroidism. Health care providers will then perform blood tests to confirm the diagnosis. Diagnostic blood tests may include the TSH, which, if above normal lab values, means a patient has hypothyroidism. Blood tests also include T4, which is the amount of thyroid hormone in the blood. In hypothyroidism, the blood lab values are lower than normal. The anti-thyroid antibody tests look for presence of thyroid autoantibodies. Most people with Hashimoto’s disease have these antibodies; however, hypothyroidism isn’t always caused

As the most interesting patient presentation, two weeks ago there was a 50-year-old Hispanic woman who came to the clinic and complained of unintentional weight gain over 28 pounds in the last two years. The patient wanted to participate in the weight loss program. Upon the physical assessment, this patient stated that her family runs thyroid disorder issues. Prior to starting the weight loss management, my preceptor and I decided to run some lab works to assess her TSH, Free T4, T3, and some other test. The patient has a follow-up appointment in the following week for her lab result. The patient lab’s result abnormal thyroid hormones. She had hypothyroidism. She stated that she had a primary physician that she had seen over 10 years, and they never told her about this problem. The plan was to treat the thyroid problem by prescribing her Armour Thyroid starting at 30 mg. According to Woo and Wynne (2015), for patients who are clinically hypothyroid, replacement therapy with thyroid hormones is

Background: An 83 year old female is taking her levothyroxine medication to help treat her thyroid disorder induced by Hashimoto. She has been taking this medication for thirty years. While always being adherent to taking her medication, she has never really understood what Hashimoto thyroiditis actually is, or why levothyroxine is the best choice of therapy for treating her hypothyroidism caused by the disease. She is also positive for hypertension, GERD, and insomnia.

Physical assessment reveals intermittent heart palpitations with strong carotid and radial pulses, brisk deep tendon reflexes, 1+ non-pitting edema of bilateral ankles, hair thinning, onycholysis, orbital lid lag and an enlarged neck with positive audible bruit. Mrs. J.P. denies pain upon palpation of neck as slight thyroid enlargement is noted. Orders to perform complete blood count (CBC), complete metabolic panel (CMP), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine index, free (T4), triiodothyroine (T3), and pregnancy test result in abnormal values including:

The health care provider ordered blood work that included thyroid-stimulating hormone, triiodothyronine, thyroxine, and radioactive iodine uptake to confirm the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism. The labs returned with an elevated level of triiodothyronine and thyroxine, while the thyroid-stimulating hormone was decreased. There was also an

Karen Holt describes in her 2010 article Graves’ Disease: Clinical Pathophysiology, Presentation and Treatment Options of certain genetic markers that cause the blood vessels surrounding the thyroid gland to dilate, most often occurring in the second to third decade of life. The dilation of these vessels causes an increase in blood flow and thyroid-stimulating antibodies excite thyrotropin receptors on the gland itself in the same manner that TSH usually works. These antibodies, known as TSAb, bypass the negative feedback loop that TSH works under causing the follicles to produce thyroid hormones in copious amounts without the ability to turn themselves “off”. This in turn causes the thyroid gland to hypertrophy and grow as much as 2 to 3 times its normal size (p. 13-14). In an effort to stop the overproduction of thyroid hormones the pituitary gland will stop making TSH and this becomes part of the diagnosing for Graves’ disease when assessing hyperthyroidism. Increased levels of free T3 and T4 along with an almost non-detectable level of TSH in a blood screen are very indicative of Graves’ disease (Holt, 2010, p. 14). There is no cure for Graves’ disease, but it is treatable with lifestyle adjustments as well as drug therapy it can be managed to a point (p 46).

Hypothyroidism is caused by the thyroid’s gland inability to produce thyroid hormone as required by the body. The diagnosis of hypothyroidism requires the laboratory testing of the thyroid stimulating hormone known as TSH. When the TSH is found to be elevated, a clinician should repeat the test along with a free thyroxine (T4) measurement. If the TSH is found to be elevated, while the T4 is normal, the patient is said to suffer from subclinical hypothyroidism. However, if the TSH is elevated and the T4 is low, the diagnosis is primary hypothyroidism (Gaitonde et al., 2012).

In conclusion, it is finalized that Dorothy Lincoln is diagnosed with Hyperparathyroidism based on the blood test results we received. These results also debunked the other chronic illnesses(Hashimoto’s Disease and Crohn’s disease) our patient could possibly have. As mentioned above, there is a handful of treatments to alleviate the devastation caused by this disease. While the prognosis for recovery appears positive if parathyroidectomy is performed on the patient. Generally speaking, It is crucial for patients diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism to seek ways to help with the symptoms caused by this disease such as fatigue and weakness. No matter what type of treatment the patient may receive for hyperparathyroidism, whether it is taking medication

The patient’s diagnosis is primary overt hypothyroidism. The patient presents with certain features such as weight gain, weakness, excessively dry flaking skin, dry hair, sluggish movements, constipation, bradycardia, diminished deep tendon reflexes, and bilateral edematous hands, which is classical signs and symptoms for primary hypothyroidism. The patient laboratory test reveals she has an elevation in serum thyroid stimulating hormone level along with low serum free thyroxin and triiodthyronine levels, which indicates it is a dysfunction or abnormality in the thyroid gland as opposed to the pituitary gland or hypothalamus (Gaitonde; Lohano; Porth, 2015, p. 780; Ross, 2014).

The reason I pick this disease is this is what my grandmother pass away from and is not in a better place. Graves disease which was first described by Robert Graves in the 19th century, this disease if one of the most common thyroid problems.It is also the leading cause of hyperthyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland produces excessive hormones. Once this disorder is diagnosed it is east to treat, in some cases the disease has gone into remission or disappeared completely after some months or years. if left untreated this disease can lead to many serious complications

Graves’ disease, also known as hyperthyroidism is an autoimmune disorder that occurs when antibodies overstimulate thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Hyperstimulation of TSH receptors leads to an increased amount of circulating triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). An increased production of T3 and T4 lead to an increased metabolic rate. This can lead to clinical manifestations of diaphoresis, heat intolerance, increased cardiac output, tachycardia, exophthalmos and weight loss. If untreated, hyperthyroidism can turn into a thyrotoxic crisis, triggered by stressful events. Thyrotoxic crisis exceeds the metabolic strains on the body. Clinical manifestations such as hyperthermia, tachycardia, and heart failure can lead to death within forty-eight

The thyroid gland is found in the front of the neck and produces two main hormones. The hormones are called thuroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3). Together these hormones regulate the body’s metabolism by increasing energy use in cells, regulate growth and development, help to maintain body temperature and aid in oxygen consumption. These two hormones are regulated by hormones produced by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The hypothalamus senses changes in body’s metabolic rate and releases a hormone known as thyropin-releasing hormone (TRH). This hormone then flows through connecting vessels to the pituitary gland which signals it to release another hormone. This hormone is known as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH then makes