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result should be taken seriously.

Myth: It is easy to cure once you have been diagnosed.
Fact: It is not always the case that taking a simple pill will always work. If a daily T3 hormone substitute doesn't work then another T4 may need to be taken. If that still brings no relief then the next step would possibly be invasive surgery or radiation treatment.

Myth: Thyroid sufferers will have to take the medication for life.

Fact: Although this can be true for a lot of people it doesn't necessarily mean that thyroid problems never get better. For people who have had surgical treatment of the thyroid it probably does mean that they will have to be on the drug, thyroxine for the rest of their live, but many others do not have to. Subacute thyroiditis is a temporary condition that requires treatment only up until the time that the thyroid has recovered sufficiently to begin to make and store thyroxine naturally. Silent and postpartum thyroiditis causes a temporary loss of thyroxine and acute thyroiditis which may require hormone treatment on a temporary basis. Depending on what type of thyroid problem you have been diagnosed with, it may be worth checking with your doctor if you are under 40 and you have been on thyroid treatment for some time, whether it would be possible for a review and to see whether it would be possible to stop taking the medication.

Myth: Thyroiditis is contagious.
Fact: The disease is often inherited and can manifest itself within close knit families it could seem that the incidence in a small group could look to be quite high. Also in communities where there is a low access to foods high in iodine, a lot of people in one area would be affected.

Myth: Thyroid deficiency is easily curable with iodine.
Fact: this is not always the case.If thyroidism could be completely cured by a quick intake of iodine then there still wouldn't be a high incidence of thyroid problems in large communities. The issue has to be dealt with on a social, cultural and economic level. To affect a cure some people may have to be educated in understanding why they get these problems in the first place. For example a person who is too poor to pay for the medical treatment, could perhaps be taught that certain foods in the diet such as casserva could be making the thyroid problem worse. In poorer countries it may be that the production of iodine is slow and cannot meet the demand of sufferers or that the stability of government is weak and unable to implement the cure.

Myth: I have found a lump on my thyroid so I have cancer.
Fact: The immediate assumption is that any lump is cancerous but in fact there is only a 5% chance you will be unlucky and most people will usually be told it is merely a benign cyst.

A lot of these myths are perpetuated by people who may not fully understand the facts about their illness, and will often make their own assumptions through personal experience. If you have any doubts or questions or you think you may be suffering from thyroid problems yourself, the best thing to do would be to visit your doctor who will have the medical expertise to advise you properly.

http://www.dummies.co m/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-9 62,subcat-MIND.html
http://www. essortment.com/family/thyroidh ealthm_syjv.htm
http://thyroid. about.com/cs/nodulesgoiters/a/ nodules.htm

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