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Thank you for your trust in the past. Ray Schilling, MD
**Closure of my websites askdrray.com and nethealthbook.com**

These websites will be taken down on **April 30, 2025** and no further updates will be provided.
I hope you enjoyed the content of these websites. You can continue to read Dr. Schilling’s blogs which I publish daily on Quora

My home page there is: ** https://www.quora.com/profile/Ray-Schilling**

Click on this: Under my image there is a heading “Profile”. Right underneath this you find a search box entitled “search content”. Type in any term you are interested in. You will get several answers I have written (I have written more than 15,000 answers).

On Quora you can also write comments that I will answer.

Thank you for your trust in the past. Ray Schilling, MD
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Thyroid Problems

Introduction

Thyroid problems have been known to mankind for hundreds of years as goiters (enlargement of the thyroid gland, thanks to www.missionfoto.com for the image).

They were common in regions where iodine is low in the diet, water and soil (low iodine diet). The iodine deficiency results in a deficit of thyroid hormone production, as without enough iodine the body cannot make effective thyroid hormones (T3 or T4 thyroid hormonesthanks to www.endocrineweb.com for this link).

Each molecule of these hormones needs 3 or 4 atoms of iodine and if this is not available in the food or diet, a goiter and hypothyroidism will develop.

On the other hand, the thyroid gland might produce thyroid nodules, which produce much more thyroid hormone than the rest of the thyroid gland leading to thyrotoxicosis, a thyrotoxic condition called hyperthyroidism.

 Thyroid Problems

Thyroid Problems

Thyroid hormones stimulate the metabolism of all of the body cells making them produce more protein and the T3 thyroid hormone also increases oxygen consumption in the liver, the muscles, heart and kidneys. Several disease states of the thyroid gland are outlined under the link below (click on “thyroid disease”, which brings you back to the table regarding thyroid problems).

 

References:

1. B. Sears: “The age-free zone”. Regan Books, Harper Collins, 2000.

2. R.A. Vogel: Clin Cardiol 20(1997): 426-432.

3. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 8: Thyroid disorders.

4. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 7:Pituitary disorders.

5. J Levron et al.: Fertil Steril 2000 Nov;74(5):925-929.

6. AJ Patwardhan et. al.: Neurology 2000 Jun 27;54(12):2218-2223.

7. ME Flett et al.: Br J Surg 1999 Oct;86(10):1280-1283.

8. The Merck Manual, 7th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 261: Congenital anomalies.

9. AC Hackney : Curr Pharm Des 2001 Mar;7(4):261-273.

10. JA Tash et al. : Urology 2000 Oct 1;56(4):669.

11. D Prandstraller et al.: Pediatr Cardiol 1999 Mar-Apr;20(2):108-112.

12. B. Sears: “Zone perfect meals in minutes”. Regan Books, Harper Collins, 1997.

13. J Bain: Can Fam Physician 2001 Jan;47:91-97.

14. Ferri: Ferri’s Clinical Advisor: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment, 2004 ed., Copyright © 2004 Mosby, Inc.

15. Rakel: Conn’s Current Therapy 2004, 56th ed., Copyright © 2004 Elsevier

Last modified: November 11, 2014

Disclaimer
This outline is only a teaching aid to patients and should stimulate you to ask the right questions when seeing your doctor. However, the responsibility of treatment stays in the hands of your doctor and you.