Thyroid Pathogenesis Lab Report

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.

In the United States, thyroid conditions affect “nearly 30 million Americans, and yet more than half of them remain undiagnosed, “ Dr. Simona Scumpia (2006) warns. The disease is more common than diabetes or heart disease. Thyroid conditions can lead a person to develop other health problems, such as heart disease, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, and depression. Dr. Simona Scumpia, Medical Director of the Austin Thyroid and Endocrinology Center, explains: "Because the symptoms of thyroidism can be associated with commonly occurring conditions, it is extremely important that people who have the symptoms be checked with a test known as a TSH test.” The TSH test, or Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone test, is a simple blood test that measures the thyroid gland's condition.

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

Laboratory Report/ Miranda Tefft/ Homeostatic Imbalances of Thyroid Function/ Aline Potvin/ 11.18.2014/ Page [2] of [3]

2. The subject who was diagnosed with secondary hypothyroidism was given levothyroxine (synthetic Thyroxine). After 6 weeks of

In order to evaluate thyroid function and diagnose thyroid diseases such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, the free thyroxine (free T4) lab test is performed usually after discovering that the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level is abnormal (Porth C 2014 p.1288)

Hypothyroidism, while a common disorder, is often misdiagnosed due to its ability to mimic other common health problems. A simple, yet specialized blood test, coupled with a complete medical history, will allow the experts at RCMC Medical Center to not only diagnose the problem in a timely manner, but also develop a treatment plan based on the results, and your personal lifestyle, with the end goal of returning you to the level of health and wellness you

TSH not only stimulates the thyroid gland to churn out more hormones. If in excess, can cause overwhelming cell growth and division to result in goiter.

She is currently on a regimen of Armour Thyroid 90 mg daily. Her TSH was last checked in November. She previously was on levothyroxine, but cannot recall the reason why she was switched. She thinks it was changed by her prior endocrinologist. She does not recall having a specific side effect or problem with the levothyroxine and would be interested, potentially in switching back to that because it is more considered standard therapy. She does feel sometimes that she is having difficulty losing weight, even though she is trying. Her weight in the office is actually down 2 pounds from her last visit in May, but overall up 5 pounds from her last visit a year ago in June. She also feels bloated sometimes, occasionally has constipation, but no other symptoms of hypo or

Mrs. J.P. is a 30-year-old African-American female who presents to the local health department for her annual women’s health exam and establishment of primary care. Mrs. J.P. requests a pregnancy test be performed due to her recent absence of menses. Mrs. J.P. states she and her spouse have been attempting pregnancy for approximately 3 months; however, with each missed cycle, pregnancy tests have been negative despite corresponding notable fatigue. Mrs. J.P. explains her current uninsured status and frustration with walk-in clinics stating recent use of multiple clinics for “simple things” without resolution. Mrs. J.P. lists her primary complaint as difficulty sleeping due to significant heart pounding in addition to her fertility concern. When encouraged to also explain recent symptoms requiring walk-in clinic assessment and completion of a health history form, she explains her ongoing diarrhea, current hand tremor, and recent onset of eye pain. She identifies all symptoms as explainable as Mrs. J.P. attributes a gluten allergy to her diarrhea, a family history of glucose abnormalities to her hand tremor, and seasonal allergies to her eye pain although medical assessment and diagnostics have not been performed. When encouraged to

Tympanic membrane perforations are very common disease. There are many factors that can contribute to this condition. Trauma, accidents, foreign objects on the ear and Middle ear infections frequently results in the accumulation of fluids in their middle ear causing a pressure capable to rupture the

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).

Hypothyroidism is defined by a reduction in the release of the main thyroid hormones, Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3). These hormones are essential in the homeostatic maintenance in the area of metabolic function (PetMD, 2017). This condition is not life-threatening and is usually very inexpensive to treat (WebMD, 2017). While there are many causes for hypothyroidism, the common causes include shrinking of the thyroid gland, tumors or cancer of the thyroid, congenital disease, iodine deficiency, and sometimes even an autoimmune issue where the body attacks its own thyroid. The risk for this disease appears to increase when the animal is spayed or neutered for currently unknown reasons (WebMD 2016). This condition is most

Hyperthyroidism is caused by an excess of thyroxine (T4) or triiodothyronine (T3), or both. This excess is a result of a malfunction of the thyroid gland as indicated by the picture below. There are many different symptoms of hyperthyroidism, some of the most common being major weight loss despite having a insatiable appetite, anxiety, heat intolerance, fatigue, weakness, hyperactivity, irritability, apathy, depression, and sweating. In addition, many experience shortness of breath, loss of balance, nausea, vomiting, osteoporosis, and diarrhea. However, those who undergo hyperthyroidism later in life may not experience most of these symptoms at all and instead only feel constantly fatigued and considerable weight loss. Nonetheless, neurological symptoms may occur in addition to the physical manifestations. These neurological symptoms include tremor, chorea (ticks), myopathy (muscle weakness), and temporary but periodic paralysis. There are a variety of ways to treat hyperthyroidism, depending on the age of the patient, the size of their thyroid gland, and their general health. The most common treatments include beta-blockers, which do not actually cure hyperthyroidism but mask some of the symptoms such as tremors, anxiety and so on. This, however, is not advised for those with heart or lung problems. Another possible treatment for this disease is radioactive iodine, or RAI. RAI therapy is the most common treatment for hyperthyroidism

According to the New York Times, "Thyroid disorders…are among the most undiagnosed and misdiagnosed problems in the United States. Doctors generally don't examine the thyroid. Disorders come on slowly, and the symptoms can be ambiguous." Although the test itself is easily incorporated into a routine blood panel, many doctors choose not to pursue testing and this is a distinct problem, especially given the number of people suffering from thyroid disorders.