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Hyperthyroidism Center - Odessa, TX

Odessa Endocrinologist Doctors for Hyperthyroidism

Type of Physician: Endocrinologist

What is a Endocrinologist?

A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners treat disorders of the internal (endocrine) glands such as the thyroid and adrenal glands. Endocrinology also deals with disorders such as diabetes, metabolic and nutritional disorders, pituitary diseases, and menstrual and sexual problems.

Specialty: Endocrinology

Common Name:

Endocrinologist Doctors in Odessa *

Texas Tech Internal Medicine
James Burks
701 W 5th St
STE 3106
Odessa, TX 79763
(432) 335-5250

Diabetes Center of the South West
Gopalakrishna M Gollapudi
10 Desta Dr
STE 190
Midland, TX 79705
(432) 686-0000

Odessa, Texas

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Hyperthyroidism

What is hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which an overactive thyroid gland is producing an excessive amount of thyroid hormones that circulate in the blood. ("Hyper" means "over" in Greek). Thyrotoxicosis is a toxic condition that is caused by an excess of thyroid hormones from any cause. Thyrotoxicosis can be caused by an excessive intake of thyroid hormone or by overproduction of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland. Because both physicians and patients often use these words interchangeably, we will take some liberty by using the term "hyperthyroidism" throughout this article.

What are thyroid hormones?

Thyroid hormones stimulate the metabolism of cells. They are produced by the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located in the lower part of the neck, below the Adam's apple. The gland wraps around the windpipe (trachea) and has a shape that is similar to a butterfly formed by two wings (lobes) and attached by a middle part (isthmus).

The thyroid gland removes iodine from the blood (which comes mostly from a diet of foods such as seafood, bread, and salt) and uses it to produce thyroid hormones. The two most important thyroid hormones are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) representing 99.9% and 0.1% of thyroid hormones respectively. The hormone with the most biological activity (for example, the greatest effect on the body) is actually T3. Once released from the thyroid gland into the blood, a large amount of T4 is converted to T3 - the more active hormone that affects the metabolism of cells.

Thyroid hormone regulation--the chain of command

The thyroid itself is regulated by another gland located in the brain, called the pituitary. In turn, the pituitary is regulated in part by thyroid hormone that is circulating in the blood (a "feedback" effect of thyroid hormone on the pit...

Recommended Reading Related to Hyperthyroidism

Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy of the Thyroid »

What are thyroid nodules?

The thyroid gland is found in the neck just below the "Adam's apple." This gland is responsible for producing thyroid hormone, which is an important hormone that stimulates the metabolism of the body. Between 4% and 7% of people in the United States have lumps (or nodules) in their thyroid gland that can be felt on examination. Like many things, the thyroid gland gets "lumpier" as we get older and the frequency of these nodules increases with age. In fact, many are found incidentally during routine examinations or radiology testing. Thyroid nodules are also more common in women than in men. In fact, ultrasound studies have found that up to one in every three women has at least one thyroid nodule that may be too small to notice. (Usually, a nodule needs to be greater than one centimeter in diameter for it to be felt.). Interestingly, because women have so many more nodules than men, the incidence of detected cancer is higher in women then in men by...

Emergency Contact for Odessa

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Odessa Hospitals *

Medical Center Hospital Odessa
500 W 4th St
Odessa, TX 79761
(432)640-4000

Regency Hospital of Odessa
500 W 4th St
Odessa, TX 79761
(432)552-4000

Odessa Regional Medical Center West Campus
520 E 6th St
Odessa, TX 79761
(432)582-8000

Odessa Regional Medical Center East Campus
515 N Adams Ave
Odessa, TX 79761
(432)582-8002

HEALTHSOUTH Midland Rehabilitation Hospital
1800 Heritage Blvd
Midland, TX 79707
(432)520-1600

Midland Memorial Hospital West Campus
4214 Andrews Hwy
Midland, TX 79703
(432)522-2273

Midland Memorial Hospital
2200 W Illinois Ave
Midland, TX 79701
(432)685-1111

Desert Springs Medical Center
3300 S FM 1788
Midland, TX 79706
(432)563-1200

Crane Memorial Hospital
1310 S Alford St
Crane, TX 79731
(432)558-3555

Martin County Hospital District
610 N St Peter St
Stanton, TX 79782
(432)756-3345

Ward Memorial Hospital
406 S Gary St
Monahans, TX 79756
(432)943-2511

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