| You Have Thyroid Disease - Do You Know What | | | | What Does Not Cause Hypothyroidism? |
| Caused It? | | | | 1. While it can interfere with the absorption of thyroid |
| 1. You were born with it (congenital). Occurs in 1 out | | | | medications, soy does not cause hypothyroidism. |
| every 5000 infants. | | | | 2. Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage cannot |
| 2. You had your thyroid removed | | | | cause hypothyroidism. |
| 3. You had your thyroid radiated (for treatment of | | | | Who Should Treat Your Hypothyroidism? |
| hyperthyroidism) | | | | Most of the time, your primary care physician can treat |
| 4. You have an autoimmune disease (Hashimoto's | | | | your hypothyroidism effectively. However, you may |
| thyroiditis). Your own immune system attacks the | | | | need an endocrinologist (a physician who specializes in |
| thyroid. This more common in women than men. | | | | the treatment of the endocrine system) if you have: |
| 5. You take certain medications (lithium, propylthiouracil, | | | | 1. You have any other autoimmune disease (diabetes, |
| or methimazole). | | | | Addison's disease, or premature ovarian failure). |
| 6. Damage to the pituitary gland. This is a gland that | | | | 2. You have trouble with adjusting your dose of thyroid |
| signals the thyroid to release or make its hormones. | | | | medication. (your TSH varies widely). |
| 7. Iodine (too much or too little). The thyroid uses iodine | | | | 3. You have another serious disease (heart disease, |
| to make its hormones. And too much to too little | | | | stroke, or cancer). |
| effects the amount of the hormone it can make. | | | | 4. You have questions that your primary care |
| 8. Some rare disorders that deposit substances on the | | | | physician cannot answer (or does not have the time to |
| thyroid that interfere with its normal functioning. | | | | answer your questions). |
| Examples - amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, hemochromatosis | | | | |