Thyroid Disease Basics, Starting Point, Thyroid 101, Introductory Info

A look at why every thyroid patient does not necessarily need an endocrinologist, thyroidologist, or thyroid specialist as a doctor.

How Did Your Thyroid Disease Get Diagnosed? Thyroid patients share their own thyroid diagnosis accounts.

Thyroid patients may wonder how to explain to family members or friends what they are going through? It's difficult to fully explain what's going on with a chronic disease that is, in many ways, "invisible" to everyone but the sufferer. But perhaps this Open Letter to Family and Friends of Thyroid Patients can be a conversation-starter, or help...

If you have a thyroid condition, you'll want to do everything you can to take good care of yourself, and do whatever possible to stay healthy, and on top of your condition. We often hear about the things that we should do, but here are ten things a thyroid patient should never do.

Is your doctor, health care practitioner and/or testing laboratory using the older, outdated reference range for the thyroid stimulating hormone -- TSH -- test, or the narrower range recommended since since 2003? For six years, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists has recommended that the so-called normal or reference range for...

As thyroid patients, we can get so wrapped up in the day-to-day details -- what medicine to take, when and how to take it, shortages or recalls of this or that drug, finding a doctor, surgery, side effects, coping with specific symptoms -- that we don't often step back and take a look at the bigger picture. Living with a chronic disease affects on our lives -- both positively and negatively -- an…

A look at the top ten stories affecting thyroid patients from 2000 to 2009, including the thyroid patient empowerment movement, celebrities going public with thyroid problems, the rise of natural thyroid, the shortage of natural desiccated thyroid, books and websites about thyroid disease, increased rate of thyroid disease, autoimmunity in the news, environmental factors, the ongoing battle over …

Among the category of types of thyroiditis -- thyroid inflammation -- is a form known as Riedel's Thyroiditis, fibrous thyroiditis, and invasive thyroiditis. This article looks at signs, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of this form of thyroiditis.

How do you know if you're a thyroid geek -- a thyroid patient who is knowledgeable, empowered, informed, savvy, and totally absorbed in thyroid information and details? Share you own signs and evidence that you are a thyroid geek.

Among the category of painless types of thyroiditis -- thyroid inflammation -- is a form known as painless, silent or subacute lymphocytic thyroiditis. This article looks at signs, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of this form of thyroiditis.

Among the category of painful types of thyroiditis -- inflammation of the thyroid -- is a form known as acute infectious thyroiditis. This article looks at the signs, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of acute infectious thyroiditis.

Among the category of painful types of thyroiditis -- thyroid inflammation -- is a form known as subacute granulomatous thyroiditis. It also is known as subacute nonsuppurative thyroiditis, de Quervain's thyroiditis, or painful subacute thyroiditis. This article looks at signs, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of this form of thyroiditis.

The term thyroiditis refers generally to any disorder that involves inflammation of the thyroid. The following articles explore a variety of different forms of thyroiditis.

Sometimes patients have tried everything to live and feel well but nothing is working. Not the doctor, the thyroid medication, herbs, or exercise programs. No matter what the patient is doing, he or she is still feeling tired, depressed, or struggling with symptoms like weight gain and hair loss. What do thyroid patients do when they feel tired, frustrated, and like nothing is going to work? Shar…

Experts claim that not only are thyroid problems easy to diagnose, but treating hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism -- conditions where the thyroid gland is underactive or overactive -- is also easy to treat. The truth is that the treatment can be fraught with pitfalls, obstacles that can interfere with your ability to live well. Take a look at many of these thyroid treatment pitfalls, including calcium, iron, weight gain, udertreatment, hair loss, and more.

Goiter is a non-cancerous enlargement of the thyroid gland. The enlargement may be visible, especially as a swelling in the front of the neck. Goiter can result from iodine deficiency, a viral or bacterial inflammation of the thyroid, autoimmune thyroid disease, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism,or nodules, among other causes. Also called struma.

Thyroid patients from the About.com Thyroid Forum share their wise and wonderful advice and ideas about an important question: What is the one thing you wish your doctor had told you when you were first diagnosed with a thyroid condition?

Help for thyroid patients who want to lose weight is available int he Thyroid Diet and Weight Loss Center. Readers who want to explore thyroid conditions and find out more can take these informative self-tests and self-scoring interactive quizzes on everything from thyroid and weight gain, to thyroid drugs.

A look at the factors that increase the risk of developing thyroid disease or thyroid conditions.

Information for people who don't have a thyroid gland, due to congenital hypothyroidism or surgery, as well as other causes of hypothyroidism, from Thyroid Guide and patient advocate Mary Shomon, author of Living Well With Hypothyroidism.

What do you do when you feel like you've tried everything, done everything, and you STILL don't feel well?

Millions of Americans have undiagnosed thyroid problems. To help with early detection, you can perform a simple self-exam. Checking your neck can in some cases help you find lumps or enlargements in the neck that may point to thyroid conditions, including nodules, goiter and thyroid cancer. Here is how to do a thyroid neck check.

If you are a thyroid patient, what holiday gift would be the perfect fit just for you? What special gift would be just right for you to find under the tree at Christmas, or during Hannukah? Or, as a thyroid patient, have you ever received a really bad gift, and feel a need to share your story so someone else doesn't make the same gift-giving...

A look at 10 things that thyroid patients can do to feel better in the coming year.

5 Lies About Your Thyroid You're Likely to Hear talks about some of the myths and misunderstandings about thyroid disease that are perpetuated by practitioners, and helps correct them with information for patients, from patient advocate Mary Shomon.

This quiz walks you through some of these most common thyroid risk factors and the frequently seen symptoms of thyroid disease.

A look at various things you can do to help prevent development of a thyroid condition, from patient advocate Mary Shomon.

Part of getting well and living well is taking charge of your health. Here are ten ways that you can be a smart thyroid patient, and maximize your own efforts to live well.

Why "Low TSH" means "Less Medicine" and Other Confusing Thyroid Issues

http://thyroid.about.com/cs/doctors/a/topdocs.htm

A handy page that links to dozens of specific thyroid-related subjects, a site map, various get-started and Thyroid 101 articles, as well as a link to the entire listing of hundreds of articles written by Thyroid Guide Mary Shomon since 1997.

Overview of information about thyroid disease, including diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, nodules, goiter, and thyroid cancer.

Step-by-step guidelines on how to lose weight with hypothyroidism.

Step-by-step guidelines on how to take your thyroid medication.

Step-by-step guidelines on how to interpret your TSH blood test results.

Step-by-step guidelines on how to tell if you are hypothyroid.

Step-by-step guidelines on how to tell if you are hyperthyroid.

Step-by-step guidelines on how to prevent thyroid disease.

Step-by-step guidelines on how to find a top thyroid doctor.

Step-by-step guidelines on how to perform a thyroid self-check.

Step-by-step guidelines on how to reverse thyroid-related infertility.

Step-by-step guidelines on how to start a thyroid support group.

Overview of information about thyroid disease, including diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, nodules, goiter, and thyroid cancer.

Informative free and subscription newsletters and reports offering information on thyroid disease for patients and practitioners.

Do you have weight changes, fatigue, depression, and other symptoms, but figure it's normal for your age, gender, lifestyle, or hormonal situation? Don't explain away your symptoms until you read this article -- it could save your life.

A complete database feauturing information on thyroid hormone replacement drugs, antithyroid drugs, manufacturers and their contact information -- including Synthroid, Thyrolar, Armour, Cytomel, Tapazole, PTU, Thyrogen, and other brands of thyroid drugs.

When you've already been diagnosed and are being treated with thyroid hormone replacement drugs but you still don't feel well, there are many things you can do to feel well.

If your TSH levels are changing from lab test to lab test, do you know why? Discover 15 different reasons behind changing TSH levels, including some things you may be taking or eating every day that can substantially impact your thyroid and health.