Lesson 3: Hypothyroidism Basics
At the end of this lesson you should be able to answer the following questions:
- What is hypothyroidism?
- How is it caused?
- Who is most susceptible to developing this condition?
- What are the direct and indirect symptoms of hypothyroidism?
- define hypothyroidism,
- list the indirect and direct symptoms of the condition,
- better distinguish between hypothyroidism and related disorders,
- discuss the risk factors for developing hypothyroidism,
- and define a ‘hypothyroidism’ demographic,
Introduction to Lesson 3
Welcome to Lesson 3. This is it! We’ve finally reached the hypothyroidism portion of our course. Up until now, we’ve flirted with this topic as we learned about the thyroid, what it does, and why we should care about it.
We now know that the thyroid is a small gland with a really big job. It regulates our body’s metabolism. We also know that thyroid hormones are made using the amino acid tyrosine and the mineral iodine.
We’ve seen some conditions that can arise out of thyroid dysfunction and understand a little bit better why it is so important for a thyroid to function properly.
I hope you feel a bit more comfortable discussing autoimmune disorders. Hypothyroidism itself generally stems from autoimmune thyroiditis, namely Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.
When the thyroid doesn’t make enough thyroid hormone, a person becomes hypothyroid. We know that defines hypothyroidism at its basic core.
However, just as the thyroid is more than its clinical definition so is the condition called Hypothyroidism.
This is a condition that can affect nearly every system in our bodies. It’s an endocrine disorder that can have severe ramifications for a person’s well-being if not monitored properly.
A diagnosis of Hypothyroidism is not a death sentence. However, it is a chronic condition that should be taken seriously. There is a lot of information out there about the condition, but there’s some misinformation too.
Even worse, there are major disagreements about how the condition should be managed.
When I was first diagnosed with this condition in 2001, I was surprised by how little people knew about this condition. I was especially shocked by the lack of understanding among medical professionals. I’ve found that knowledge is vital for the patient with a chronic endocrine disorder. It may not save your life, but it can make the quality of your life so much better.
In the coming lessons, we’ll discuss how to treat the disease in the short-term and long-term. We’ll also delve into nutrition, weight loss, exercise and medications which are so important for the hypothyroid patient to know about.
I will also devote a little time to helping you learn some tips and tricks in not only dealing with this condition but also the specialists, professionals and other well-meaning people you may meet.
You have to be your own best advocate. None else is going to care as much about your health as you do, right?
Of course, I’m jumping just a little bit ahead. Let me rein it back in here. In this lesson, we are going to get down to the basics. By the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
This lesson is the linchpin of the whole course. We’ve been building up to this so far and will build upon this foundation in the upcoming lessons.
I recommend that you read Chapters 1 – 4 in Mary J. Shomon’s book, Living Well With Hypothyroidism and Chapters 2 and 6 in Sanford Siegal’s Is Your Thyroid Making You Fat?
