Thyroidism Case Study Essay

pituitary is not creating as much TSH. This would cause the Thyroid to stop producing T4

Hashimoto thyroiditis is a common disease caused by hypothyroidism. The immune system cells attack the thyroid gland, causing inflammation and eventually destruction of the gland. This reduces the thyroids ability to make hormones. These hormones are known as thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3) (Better health channel 2015).

There are many things, both inside the body and externally, that can cause the thyroid to produce too little hormone, also known as hypothyroidism. Often times, the root cause is from a viral infection or an autoimmune disorder known as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which causes the body to mistakenly attack and damage the thyroid. Other common causes include:

Week 3 – LOM Assignment The thyroid is responsible for taking iodine and converting it into thyroid hormones which are released into the blood stream and transported throughout the body where they control metabolism.1 The thyroid is a vital part of the human body as every cell in the body depends on it for metabolic regulation. Too much or too little thyroid hormone secretion can result in hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is caused when the thyroid secretes too many thyroid hormones. Hyperthyroidism causes a rapid heart rate, elevated blood pressure and tremors. Other symptoms include increased nervousness, inability to concentrate, weakness, restlessness, difficulty sleeping, frequent bowel movements, weight loss and irregular

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

Hyperthyroidism is a malfunction of the thyroid gland, where the thyroid produces too much thyroid hormone. The thyroid hormone is responsible for the body's use of energy, metabolic rates, and proper functioning of the organ systems (Graves disease, 2014). It is an essential hormone for homeostasis.

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).

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).

Thyroid hormones are thermogenic which means that they tend to produce heat through metabolic stimulation. They interact with other hormones to modulate protein, carbohydrate and fat metabolism as well5. As mentioned earlier, one main symptom of Graves’ disease is heat intolerance which can cause excess sweating of the patient. Since thyroid hormones produce heat, if a patient has over stimulation of the hormone, that is what causes the excess heat production. In Graves’ disease, the body produces antibodies called thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins (TSI). They take the place of TSH attaching to the TSH receptors and activating them on the thyroid gland. Therefore, the negative feedback loop of over secretion of the thyroid gland is blocked and cannot be

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

Through the hormones it produces, the thyroid gland influences almost all of the metabolic processes in your body. Thyroid disorders can range from a small, harmless goiter (enlarged gland) that needs no treatment to life-threatening cancer. The most common thyroid problems involve abnormal production of thyroid hormones. Too much thyroid hormone results in a condition known as hyperthyroidism. Insufficient hormone production leads to hypothyroidism. We choose goiter as our main thyroid disease to discuss in our

Autoimmune diseases cause the immune system to attack the body’s own cells, tissues, and organs (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2015). Therefore, autoimmune diseases can cause the immune system to attack thyroid glands. When this occurs, the attack causes inflammation and interference in thyroid hormone production (NIDDK, 2013). Thyroid surgery that involves the removal of the thyroid gland may cause hypothyroidism. Thyroid glands are surgically removed for people with cancer, certain diseases, and hyperthyroidism (NIDDK, 2013). Radiation therapy, such as radioactive iodine, gradually destroys the thyroid gland (NIDDK, 2013). With the absence of thyroid gland, this leads to hypothyroidism. Congenital diseases, more specifically defective thyroid gland, can cause hypothyroidism. Some infants are born with defective thyroid gland or no thyroid gland (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2015). The pituitary gland produces TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). TSH instructs the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones (Family Doctor, 2014). Pituitary disorders may hinder and limit the production of TSH by the pituitary gland. The lack of production of TSH directly affects the production of thyroid hormones. Therefore, pituitary disorders may lead to hypothyroidism. Medications can interfere with thyroid hormone production. This

Did you know that every cell of the human body has thyroid hormone receptors? They're intricately woven into the DNA. So, if you think about it, the thyroid gland basically has control of the entire body. As part of the endocrine system, the thyroid secretes hormones directly into the bloodstream, and these hormones are responsible for regulating many bodily functions. It controls the body's metabolism, protein synthesizing, energy consumption, and the functions of other vital organs.