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Thyroid specialist

Thyroid specialist

Specialists who deal with thyroid problem are called thyroidologists. Thyroid is an endocrine gland. Therefore an endocrinologist who specializes in the endocrine system can also be consulted for thyroid problems and diseases. Thyroidologist and endocrinologist are specially trained doctors who diagnose and treat diseases affecting the thyroid gland. A thyroid specialist continues specialized education focused on thyroid issues after obtaining a Masters degree in medicine. He is qualified and trained to treat conditions that are complex and involve many systems within the body that may be affected due to thyroid imbalance.

A primary care doctor too often misses the diagnosis of a thyroid disease. Sometimes primary care doctors refer patients to a thyroid specialist when there is problem in the endocrine/ hormone systems. Thyroid specialists treat patients with too much or too little thyroid hormone. The thyroid specialist helps the patients to reach a hormone balance by replacing or blocking thyroid hormone. Thyroid specialists also receive special training to manage patients with thyroid growths or thyroid cancer and enlarged thyroid glands. There are times when the services of a thryoidologist or an endocrinologist become absolutely necessary.

A thyroid specialist has to be consulted when a patient is suffering from the hyperthyroid autoimmune - Graves' disease . This is a condition which can be treated only by a thyroid specialist and not by a regular GP. Graves's disease and hyperthyroid management involves a number of therapies, antithyroid drug use, radioactive iodine treatments and even surgery if necessary.

Evaluation and treatment for thyroid nodule can be rendered only by thyroid specialists. Thyroid nodule is evaluated by ultrasound and fine needle biopsy process. This is done to rule out the possibility of thyroid cancer.

Thyroid cancer is rare and less than 15000 new cases are diagnosed every year. An expert thyroid specialist is highly recommended to diagnose, evaluate, treat and help in long term follow up and support management of thyroid cancer.

Thyroid surgery is performed when the gland becomes so large that is cosmetically disfiguring. This is normally done if a thyroid has markedly enlarged for years. Thyroid surgery should be performed by an experienced thyroid surgeon. Only an experienced thyroid surgeon can handle the complications that can arise due to thyroid surgery.

A thyroid specialist can assess hypothyroidism levels. This is done by evaluation of TSH level. A thyroid specialist considers other options such as symptoms, family history and clinical factors to make a thyroid diagnosis.

After a person has been diagnosed for hypothyroidism, a thyroid specialist treats and manages the patient for other signs and symptoms as well. Such symptoms are weight gain, depression, brain fog, hair loss, shortness of breath, intolerance to heat and cold, muscle aches and joint pains, constipation, carpal tunnel, high cholesterol, infertility, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidismis a condition that occurs when there is too much thyroid hormone in the body. The hormones thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine are produced by the thyroid gland and play a major role in determining the body's metabolic rate. When there is excess amount of thyroid hormones, it will lead to a faster metabolism resulting in hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism occurs when thyroid cells trap excess iodine and produce excessive thyroid hormone. Sometimes the cause is damaged or inflamed thyroid cells. A person suffering from hyperthyroidism experiences excessive sweating and rapid heart rate(palpitations) and tremors. Such persons may notice loss of weight and extreme fatigue. These symptoms appear gradually and may sometimes go unnoticed. A person suffering from hyperthyroidism may feel nervous and notice muscle weakness. Women who are suffering from hyperthyroidism tend to have light menstrual periods or may even miss few cycles. Hair becomes brittle and skin becomes warm and moist. A person may appear agitated and confused. Patients suffering from hyperthyroidism often notice swelling at the base of the neck.

Thyroid Scan is used to measure the activity of the thyroid gland with radioactive substance. The blood TSH levels are measured to check for increased production of thyroid hormone. Graves Disease is an autoimmune disease that results in an overactive thyroid gland. This in turn leads to hyperthyroidism. Thyroiditis or inflammation of the thyroid gland is yet another cause for hyperthyroidism. Goiter or toxic nodule on the thyroid gland can be another cause for hyperthyroidism.

Antithyroid drugs are used to control the production of thyroid hormone. These drugs include methimazole (Tapazole) and propylthiouracil (PTU). Radioactive Iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism involves a pill or liquid that is administered to the patient so as to ablate a hyperactive gland. Radioactive iodine therapy destroys only local cells and is generally given as a one-dose treatment. It is essential to monitor this treatment since it may lead to destroy too many thyroid cells and even lead to hypothyroidism. This treatment for hyperthyroidismbut is not used on pregnant or lactacting women. Surgery is used to remove thyroid gland but this procedure is not without possible complications. Removal of too much tissue leads to hypothyroidism and often nerves connected with the vocal chords might be affected.

Grave's Disease

The thyroid gland produces an important hormone which regulates body metabolism. Grave's disease is a disorder of the thyroid gland. It manifests in the form of an enlarged thyroid, with increased production of thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism). Grave's disease is noticed predominantly among persons in the 30 - 50 age group. This condition is seen to be more common in females affecting nearly 1.9% of the female population. Grave' Disease is also seen in many cases as a heriditary condition.

Grave's disease surfaces with symptoms of hyperthyroidism in females. The typical symptoms are nervousness, anxiety and rapid speech. Heat intolerance, fatigue, weight loss and palpitations are other common symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Some women suffering from this disorder complain of reduced flow of menstrual cycle or absent cycle. There appears a swelling on the neck The patient is often nervous, anxious, fidgeting, and speaks rapidly. Other symptoms include fatigue, heat intolerance, weight loss, and palpitations. Females may also complain of absent menstrual cycles (or reduced flow) and neck swelling secondary to thyroid enlargement (goiter). Advanced cases will demonstrate exophthalmos, a protruding of the eyes from their orbits.

The diagnosis of Grave's disease can be made with labouratory studies such as the thyroid profile.A Nuclear imaging of the thyroid gland is also helpful in diagnosing this condition and will also help exclude the diagnosis of a thyroid tumour.thyroid biopsy is generally not necessary for diagnosis.

Treatment is with anti-thyroid medications (e.g. propylthiouracil, methimazole) in most cases. In up to 50% of cases drug therapy will lead to remission of Grave's disease. Surgery (thyroid removal) is recommended in select cases (younger patients and those with extreme thyroid enlargement). Lifetime thyroid hormone supplementation (e.g. Thyroxine sodium) is necessary after removal of the thyroid gland.