Part I—"Frustrated" Questions
1. Please note anything unusual about Ellie’s behavior or appearance. (1 point)
Trembling hands, sniffling/crying, shocked expression with the mention of
talking to her parents or a frien
...
Part I—"Frustrated" Questions
1. Please note anything unusual about Ellie’s behavior or appearance. (1 point)
Trembling hands, sniffling/crying, shocked expression with the mention of
talking to her parents or a friend and all of a sudden becoming sick.
2. What do you think might be going on with Ellie that could cause her
difficulties? Consider both physical and psychological causes. (1 point)
Physically I think Ellie might be stuck in sympathetic dominance. She is
extremely stressed out and this is causing her body to go into fight or flight,
which can be affecting her weight, sleep, ability to concentrate and reduce
her ability to fight illness/infection.
Part II—"Health Center" Questions
1. Where is the thyroid gland located? (1 point)
In the neck (Adam’s Apple)
2. List the hormones secreted by the thyroid and describe their general actions.
(2 points)
Thyroxine stimulates the consumption of oxygen and thus the metabolism of
all cells and tissues in the body.
Triiodothyronine affects almost every physiological process in the body,
including growth and development, metabolism, body temperature, and
heart rate.
3. Protrusion of the eyes is called exophthalmos. How is it related to thyroid
dysfunction? What causes it? (2 points)
About 30 percent of people with Graves' disease show some signs and
symptoms of a condition known as Graves' ophthalmopathy. In Graves'
ophthalmopathy, inflammation and other immune system events affect
muscles and other tissues around your eyes.
4. What is the significance of the slight swelling in Ellie’s neck? (1 point)
Swelling could mean a tumor / nodule on her thyroid
5. Based on the information you have at this point, do you think Ellie’s thyroid
gland is hyperactive or hypoactive? Explain your answer. (2 points)
Hyperactive due to the swelling in her neck, feeling warm, bulging eyes, high
blood pressure and heart rate.
6. Dr. Simmons ordered blood tests to measure Ellie’s levels of thyroid hormone
and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH or thyrotropin). If Ellie has a
hyperactive thyroid, what are the expected results? What are the anticipated
results if she has a hypoactive thyroid? (3 points)
TSH will be decreased in hyperthyroidism and increased in hypothyroidism.
Thyroid hormones themselves will be increased.
7. Compare and contrast the symptoms of hyperthyroidism and
hypothyroidism. (1 point)
Hyperthyroidism: sudden weight loss, rapid heart rate, nervousness, anxiety,
tremor, increased sensitivity to heat, enlarged thyroid gland, difficulty
sleeping.
Hypothyroidism: increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, weight gain,
muscle aches, fatigue
Part III—"Thyroid Trouble” Questions
1. What is causing Ellie’s thyroid to secrete too much hormone? (2 points)
Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies produced by
your immune system stimulate your thyroid to produce too much T-4, is the
most common cause of hyperthyroidism. Normally, your immune system uses
antibodies to help protect against viruses, bacteria and other foreign
substances that invade your body. In Graves' disease, antibodies mistakenly
attack your thyroid and occasionally attack the tissue behind your eyes
(Graves' ophthalmopathy) and the skin, often in your lower legs over the
shins (Graves' dermopathy). Scientists aren't sure exactly what causes
Graves' disease, although several factors — including a genetic predisposition
— are likely involved. (Mayo Clinic, 2017)
2. Is Ellie correct in thinking that TSH is a thyroi
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