Answers to Part 3
Q: What 2 hormones does the thyroid produce and what are their functions?
A: Thyroxine (T4): Increases metabolic rate which stimulates all body cells to metabolize and use energy at a faster rate
Calcitonin: decreases blood calcium levels when they’re too high, by targeting the kidneys and inhibiting them from reabsorbing calcium into the blood from the bones.
Q: What is the swelling in Janet’s neck called and what caused it?
A: The swelling in Janet’s neck is called a goiter and it is caused by the continued stimulation of the thyroid by TSH (because there is no thyroxine being made) causing an increase in the thyroid size, in an attempt to make more thyroxine
Q: What is TSH? Why it is so high in my body?
A: TSH is a thyroid-stimulating hormone that stimulates the thyroid gland. She is hyper-secreting this hormone resulting in her body having high levels of TSH.
Q: What could have caused this increase of TSH? Does this explain some of the symptoms I’ve been having?
A: The increase in TSH could have been due to her body not producing enough thyroxine. Low levels of thyroxine could have to do with her diet, lifestyle or genetics. Yes the high levels of TSH explain many of Janet’s symptoms, fatigue, thinning of hair, stress and weight gain.
A: Thyroxine (T4): Increases metabolic rate which stimulates all body cells to metabolize and use energy at a faster rate
Calcitonin: decreases blood calcium levels when they’re too high, by targeting the kidneys and inhibiting them from reabsorbing calcium into the blood from the bones.
Q: What is the swelling in Janet’s neck called and what caused it?
A: The swelling in Janet’s neck is called a goiter and it is caused by the continued stimulation of the thyroid by TSH (because there is no thyroxine being made) causing an increase in the thyroid size, in an attempt to make more thyroxine
Q: What is TSH? Why it is so high in my body?
A: TSH is a thyroid-stimulating hormone that stimulates the thyroid gland. She is hyper-secreting this hormone resulting in her body having high levels of TSH.
Q: What could have caused this increase of TSH? Does this explain some of the symptoms I’ve been having?
A: The increase in TSH could have been due to her body not producing enough thyroxine. Low levels of thyroxine could have to do with her diet, lifestyle or genetics. Yes the high levels of TSH explain many of Janet’s symptoms, fatigue, thinning of hair, stress and weight gain.