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About the Thyroid Gland

Thyroid Diseases and Conditions

Thyroid Disease Risks/Symptoms

Thyroid Testing/ Diagnosis

Thyroid Awareness Month Campaigns

Thyroid Links

THYROID DISEASE...
	Affects at least 30 million Americans -- some experts say 59 million!

	Is easily -- and frequently -- misdiagnosed as depression

	Is at least 7 times more likely to affect women

	Can be the actual cause of weight gain/difficulty losing weight, fatigue, depression, hair loss, and high cholesterol in some people

	Is most often due to autoimmune disease

	In women, can cause infertility, low sex drive, miscarriage, irregular menstrual periods, breastfeeding problems, and difficult menopause

	Is NOT typically tested for as part of regular blood work in an annual physical

	Is often overlooked, misdiagnosed, or insufficiently/incorrectly treated by physicians


	Mary Shomon is the nation's leading thyroid patient advocate, and author of a number of best-selling books on thyroid disease. Mary is also Guide to the About.com Thyroid Site -- part of the New York Times Co.--since 1997. Contact Mary now.

Thyroid Awareness Month:
January 2010

It's January...Do You Know Where
Your Thyroid Is?

It's January. Do you know where your thyroid is?

It's a good question, because January is Thyroid Awareness Month, and while some experts believe as many as 59 million Americans have thyroid problems, it turns out that the majority of you who have a thyroid problem don't even know it yet!. You haven't been diagnosed. You're not being treated. You may not even know what or where the thyroid is!

Your thyroid is actually your master gland of metabolism and energy. And if it's not working properly, you can suffer from a long list of health problems -- everything from weight problems, to fatigue, to high cholesterol, to depression...even a low sex drive!

That's why, if you don't know where your thyroid is, or whether your thyroid is even working properly, you really do need to find out.

And what better time than now?

According to thyroid patient advocate and author Mary Shomon, "Even with the efforts of the past decade, we still have a long way to go in terms of thyroid awareness. People are struggling with obesity, depression, infertility, menopausal symptoms, low libido, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, and many other issues, and yet the majority of Americans have never had a thorough thyroid checkup. If properly informed, diagnosed and treated, some of these people would feel and live well, because they will discover that their symptoms were actually due to overlooked and untreated thyroid problems all along!"

To help these undiagnosed thyroid sufferers finally get the help they need, Shomon, the New York Times best-selling author of The Thyroid Diet and a number of popular patient-directed books, web sites, and thyroid newsletters, has put together this Thyroid Awareness Month campaign for January 2010, along with this website, and a free downloadable ebook -- all designed to help educate and empower people around the world with thyroid conditions.

The free ebook, titled The Thyroid Awareness Month Guide to Thyroid Disease, is available at the campaign's website, www.thyroidawarenessmonth.com/ebook.htm.

SPECIAL FEATURE: ALLY AVERELL'S THYROID ART!

Thyroid patient and artist Allyson Jones Averell did this extraordinary facepainting on herself, featuring a butterfly and gladiolus flower -- the gladiolus stands for being strong of character -- done January 2010 in honor of Thyroid Awareness Month. Click the image (or here) to view this amazing artwork in more detail, and to find out more about Allyson and her work!

Your Thyroid, and What Can Go Wrong...

The short version? Your thyroid is a small gland, located in your neck, and the hormone it produces controls the delivery of oxygen and energy to every cell in your body. You know how without a fuel pump, your car won't go, because gasoline can't get into the engine? Well, if your thyroid isn't functioning properly, YOU won't go, because oxygen and energy can't get into your cells, tissues and organs.

You may have heard the dumb jokes about people with thyroid problems, suggesting that "thyroid" is just a lame excuse for being overweight, but thyroid disease is no joke. Without thyroid hormone, everything -- and we mean everything -- eventually shuts down. The most common problem is insufficient thyroid hormone, known as hypothyroidism, "low thyroid" or an underactive thyroid. Without enough thyroid hormone, you can gain weight, lose energy, become depressed and exhausted, lose your hair and your sex drive, even find it hard to remember things or concentrate.

Sometimes, the thyroid can go into overdrive, and produce too much thyroid hormone, a condition known as hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid. Think of this as a bit like the accelerator's gotten stuck, and the engine gets flooded. With too much thyroid hormone, heart rate and blood pressure can go up, you might experience anxiety, tremors, panic attacks, diarrhea, muscle weakness, eye problems, insomnia, and rapid weight loss.

The thyroid can also get enlarged (known as a goiter), develop lumps (known as nodules), and in some cases, those lumps can even be cancerous. Thyroid cancer is, in fact, one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States.

Here at the Thyroid Awareness Month site, you'll find the key information you need to learn about about thyroid disease, including:

1. Do You Know That You Should Always Rule Out a Thyroid Problem?

Here are some more Thyroid Awareness Month Tips to help you understand how important your thyroid is to staying healthy and happy.

Thyroid disease is often overlooked, or blamed on things like age and lifestyle, because the symptoms are common. It's actually shocking how often doctors do not test for thyroid, when it could be the cause of symptoms and condition. For example:

Overweight, and can't lose weight despite diet and exercise? Before you go for weight loss surgery, you owe it to yourself to rule out a thyroid problem.
If you are suffering from infertility or recurrent miscarriage, rule out a thyroid problem before you start costly assisted reproduction treatments.
If you have low sex drive, don't despair...rule out thyroid problems first. Feeling depressed? Before you start an antidepressant -- with all its potential side effects-- rule out thyroid problems.
If you are feeling fuzzy-brained and having memory problems -- rule out thyroid problems. High cholesterol? Rule out thyroid before starting a statin drug.
If you've just had a baby and you're exhausted, losing hair, or having trouble breastfeeding -- rule out thyroid problems before you assume you're having normal "postpartum" problems.
If you have erratic periods or hot flashes, rule out thyroid problems before you assume it's perimenopause or menopause.
If you have panic attacks, muscle aches, joint pains, hair loss, puffiness, or constipation -- rule out thyroid problems!

KEY TIP: Don't assume that your annual physical or blood work (you know, the typical bloodwork that looks at cholesterol, etc.) includes thyroid tests. Most of the time, no one is looking at your thyroid during an annual check-up, and most bloodwork does NOT include a thyroid panel.

2. Do You Know What Tests to Ask For?

You may think, "I've had a thyroid test and it was normal."

That's not enough!

Many doctors rely on the TSH -- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone -- as their go-to test for thyroid disease, and that's probably the test you had.

Sadly, however, doctors can't even agree as to what levels are normal for the TSH test! Some endocrinologists and physicians are behind the times, and believe that .5 to 5.5 is the normal level. (This is the range that most labs use as well.) Other physicians believe that levels above 2.5 are evidence of a thyroid condition and warrant treatment. With MILLIONS of people falling into that limbo -- a TSH between 2.5 and 5.5 -- there are many undiagnosed people with thyroid problems out there who are being told "your thyroid is normal" solely on the basis of a TSH test.

Also, keep in mind that forward-thinking doctors don't just test TSH, they test Free T4, Free T3, and autoimmune thyroid antibodies to get a more complete picture of thyroid function.

Says Shomon, "If your doctor is using the old .5 to 5.5 TSH range, ignores your symptoms and relies only on the TSH test, or doesn't understand the value of testing Free T4, Free T3, and thyroid antibodies, then it's time to get a more knowledgeable doctor who can properly diagnose and treat your thyroid condition."

KEY TIP: You need TSH, Free T4, Free T3, and thyroid antibodies tests, as well as a full clinical thyroid examination, before thyroid disease can be ruled out.

3. Do You Know Where to Find a Great Doctor Who "Gets" Thyroid Disease?

Doctors love to say "thyroid disease is easy to diagnose and easy to treat," but this mantra doesn't seem to bear out in reality. When it comes to diagnosing and treating thyroid problems, for example, practitioners fall into one of two camps.

First -- Conventional endocrinologists and physicians, who believe that symptoms are irrelevant, and that thyroid problems should be diagnosed solely by looking at the results of the TSH test, and that hypothyroidism should be treated solely with the synthetic thyroid medication levothyroxine (i.e., Synthroid), and hyperthyroidism means that you must have your thyroid permanently disabled with radioactive iodine (RAI) right away, making you hypothyroid. These doctors are most concerned with normalizing thyroid blood test results, and don't care particularly whether or not your symptoms are relieved, or what additional problems develop as a result of treatments.

Second -- Integrative physicians, some endocrinologists, gynecologists and hormone experts, and holistic practitioners who believe that thyroid problems are diagnosed by actually practicing medicine. That means, evaluating your symptoms, performing a clinical exam, taking your medical history, and performing various blood tests. These practitioners also believe that treating thyroid disease means finding the best treatment that can safely resolve symptoms for you. These practitioners are frequently open to treating hypothyroidism with the addition of T3 medications like Cytomel or time-released T3, or prescription of natural desiccated thyroid like Nature-throid or Armour, in lieu of levothyroxine. For hyperthyroid patients, they may choose a course of antithyroid drugs rather than suggesting a "rush to RAI."

Says Shomon, "I recommend patients initially find an endocrinologist for diagnosis, treatment and followup of thyroid cancer, Graves' disease and evaluation of nodules. But for properly diagnosing, treating and managing hypothyroidism, many patients find a holistic/integrative practitioner, GP, gynecologist, or other doctor who has taken a personal interest in treating thyroid patients to be a more effective choice."

KEY TIP: The free online "Thyroid Top Doctors Directory" at http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs features a state-by-state and country-specific listing of doctors who have been highly recommended by thyroid patients in their care.

4. Do You Know Where You Can Download a Free Ebook on Thyroid Disease?

The Thyroid Awareness Month Guide to Thyroid Disease: 2010 Edition is a free ebook from Mary Shomon, available for download at www.thyroidawarenessmonth.com/ebook.htm online. The ebook explains more about the thyroid and its function, and looks at common thyroid diseases and conditions, including hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid), autoimmune thyroid disease, goiter/enlargement, nodules/lumps, thyroiditis, and thyroid cancer. The ebook features a detailed list of risk factors, signs and symptoms of thyroid disease, along with information thyroid blood tests, diagnosis and treatment. Finally, links to key thyroid-related websites, and resources to help you stay informed, are included. Download this free ebook now, as a starting point toward knowing more about your thyroid this year.

Join Us On Facebook

January is Thyroid Awareness Month on Facebook

About Mary Shomon

Mary Shomon is the nation's leading thyroid patient advocate. She is author of 10 popular books on health, including New York Times best-selling "The Thyroid Diet: Manage Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss," "The Menopause Thyroid Solution: Overcome Menopause by Solving Your Hidden Thyroid Problem," "The Thyroid Hormone Breakthrough: Overcoming Sexual and Hormonal Problems at Every Age," "Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know," "The Thyroid Guide to Hair Loss," "Living Well With Graves' Disease and Hyperthyroidism," "Living Well With Autoimmune Disease," and "Living Well With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia." Shomon is founder and editor of a popular thyroid website, http://www.Thyroid-Info.com, and edits an email and print newsletter and magazine for thyroid patients , "Sticking Out Our Necks: Thyroid Report." Since 1997, Shomon has also served as the Guide to Thyroid Disease at About.com, a New York Times Company. More information on Mary Shomon and thyroid disease is online at http://www.thyroid-info.com and http://www.thyroidawarenessmonth.com -- two of Shomon's advocacy sites. Shomon is also founder of the Save Natural Thyroid Coalition. Shomon is active in social networking to connect thyroid patients, and thousands of patients follow Mary Shomon on Facebook, and connect with her via her ThyroidMary postings on Twitter.

MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA

As an experienced spokesperson for patients, Mary Shomon can address the topics of thyroid disease, metabolism, autoimmune diseases, patient empowerment, the Internet and health, for television, radio or print interviews. Members of the media can email or call Mary Shomon's publishing/publicity office at 1-888-810-9471.

Facebook Mary Shomon!	Facebook: January is Thyroid Awareness Month	Follow Mary Shomon on Twitter!

Thyroid Awareness Month: January 2010 It's January...Do You Know Where Your Thyroid Is?

Thyroid Awareness Month:
January 2010

It's January...Do You Know Where
Your Thyroid Is?