Using the external resources of PubMed (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/), identify a clinical disorder that represents a fundamental disturbance of the structural or functional integrity of the endocrine system. Introduce the clinical disorder to your readers, describe the impact on community health and demonstrate your understanding of the material presented in Chapters 17 by correctly defining and using at least 4 anatomic and/or physiologic terms related to the structural organization of endocrine system of humans as related to the clinical scenario you introduce to your readers.
Your discussion must be at least 250 words in length, detailing your thoughts and position using 2 readings references for support. Also be sure to pose 1-2 well thought out questions from which your colleagues can formulate a response or generate further discussion. Be sure to cite any references using APA format.
The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ in front of the trachea that releases the thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) (OpenStax, 2018). T3 and T4 are metabolic hormones that, when bound to intracellular receptors in mitochondria, produce heat and raise body temperature during nutrient breakdown and ATP production (OpenStax, 2018). One of the thyroid-related dysfunctions is hypothyroidism. I will summarize the results of my PubMed research and consider the impact on community health.
Hypothyroidism is a disease with deficient thyroidal production of thyroid hormone, and it causes slowed metabolic rate, weight gain, decreased mental activity, abnormal temperature regulation, heart rate, etc. (Wiersinga, 2014). Low thyroid activity during childhood can also induce mental and developmental delays. There are two types of hypothyroidism, one is when the thyroid gland itself is the cause (primary hypothyroidism), and the other is when there is no abnormality in the thyroid gland itself, but the function of the thyroid hormone receptors, the pituitary gland, and hypothalamus is the cause (central hypothyroidism) (Bowden & Goldis, 2022).
The most common form of primary hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's disease, whose main symptom is swelling of the entire thyroid gland. It destroys the own thyroid tissue due to an autoimmune disorder, resulting in chronic inflammation (Mincer & Jialal, 2022). It is also called chronic thyroiditis, but it is called Hashimoto's disease because it was first reported by Dr. Hashimoto in Japan. Japan has no endemic factors for iodine deficiency, making it an environment that easily develops Hashimoto's disease. Consuming much seaweed and gargling with iodine-containing mouthwash daily can lead to excessive intake of iodine, which can induce autoimmunity against the thyroid gland and lead to hypothyroidism. Hashimoto's disease is characterized by its prevalence among young to middle-aged women, accounting for approximately 3-10% of adult women in Japan. "Conventional treatment for Hashimoto's disease is comprised of levothyroxine at the recommended dose of 1.6 to 1.8 mcg/kg/day" (Mincer & Jialal, 2022, para.2). Levothyroxine is a drug that supplements the thyroid hormone T4, but its administration increases basal metabolism and cardiac load, which may cause arrhythmia.
I have personally seen my grandmother suffer from Hashimoto's disease. She has to be on medication for the rest of her life, and she is also experiencing various restrictions, so she seems uncomfortable, but she is coping well nonetheless. I hope that more people will learn about hypothyroidism and be able to prevent and treat it effectively.
Anatomic/physiologic terms
The thyroid gland, Hypothyroidism, Metabolic hormones, The pituitary gland, Hypothalamus, Triiodothyronine (T3), Thyroxine (T4)
Question
Have you actually met a patient with hypothyroidism? What were their symptoms?
Thank you guys!! (430 words)
References
Bowden, S. A., & Goldis, M. (2022). Congenital Hypothyroidism. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558913/
Mincer, D. L., & Jialal, I. (2022). Hashimoto Thyroiditis. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29083758/
OpenStax. (2018). Anatomy & physiology. Houston, TX: Rice University. Retrieved from https://cnx.org/contents/FPtK1zmh@12.6:fEI3C8Ot@16/Preface.
Wiersinga, W. M. (2014). Adult Hypothyroidism. In K. R. Feingold (Eds.) et. al., Endotext. MDText.com, Inc. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25905416/
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