Tympanic Membrane and Thyroid Gland
Tabatha Hopkins
South University
Tympanic Membrane and Thyroid Gland The tympanic membrane and thyroid gland are two of the many features that will assessed on a patient. When abnormalities or disruption in the normal function of either of these persist, permanent damage can occur. To know if there is a disruption in the normal function, we must know what the normal function and purpose is. This paper will review possible finding for the tympanic membrane, how to examine the thyroid gland, and give an assessment note using the subjective, objective, assessment, and plan (SOAP) note format.
Tympanic membrane
What is the tympanic membrane? The tympanic is commonly known as the eardrum. It separates the
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Thyroid Gland
The thyroid gland is in the middle of the neck and lays over the trachea. It is a very vascular endocrine gland responsible for secreting hormones such as thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) (Jarvis, 2015). These hormones stimulate the rate of cellular metabolism (Jarvis, 2015). This gland has two lobes. Both lay posteriorly between the sternomastoid muscle and the trachea (Jarvis, 2015).
Health Assessment History & findings for thyroid gland
Prior to the physical examination of the thyroid gland the examiner should as about any recent infections or tenderness in the neck (Jarvis, 2015). Ask if there have been any lumps or swelling noted in the neck (Jarvis, 2015). You would ask if there has been a history of thyroid problems and if so how has it been treated in the past (Jarvis, 2015). And lastly ask if there has ever been any surgical procedures or irradiation of the neck or neck region (Jarvis,
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You can position a lamp to shine across the neck to look for obvious lumps or enlargement or ask the patient to tilt the head back so the skin in taut across the gland (Jarvis, 2015). To visualize the rise and fall of the gland you can ask the patient to take a sip of water, the tissue should move up with the swallow and fall into a resting position afterward (Jarvis, 2015).
Using the posterior examination approach, stand behind the patient. Sitting up straight, have the patient relax the neck to the left side to relax the neck muscles on this side (Jarvis, 2015). Push the trachea slightly to the left using the fingers of your right hand (Jarvis, 2015). By retracting the trachea and the sternomastoid muscles you should be able to palpate the thyroid gland. You can ask the patient to swallow allowing you to feel the rise and fall of the gland (Jarvis, 2015). This procedure can be repeated on the opposite
Graves’ disease is diagnosed by performing a physical examination, a blood test, and determining radioactive iodine uptake. In the physical exam the doctor will inspect the eyes to see whether they are irritated or bulging. The thyroid is checked to ascertain if it is enlarged. The physician will check the hands and fingers for signs of trembling and ask questions about their symptoms. A blood test is given to see what the levels of
A goiter, nodules, or growths may be found during a physical exam, and symptoms may suggest hypothyroidism.
The nurse who assesses the patient initially usually is the one who detects signs of more serious underlying pathology (Reynolds, 2004). The health assessment histories, SOAP notes, and findings of two patients with HEENT problems will be discussed in detail. This paper will also cover tympanic membranes findings and examination of the thyroid glands. With competent and diligent nursing assessment knowledge and application, both acute and chronic HEENT problems can lead to the discovery of underlying conditions crucial to planning and treatment. Some HEENT problems can also be life-threatening requiring prompt nursing and medical interventions (Reynolds, 2004).
The thyroid gland is the gland that makes and stores hormones that help regulate the heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and metabolism. Thyroid hormones are essential for the function of every cell in the body. They help regulate growth and the rate of chemical reactions in the body. Thyroid hormones also help children grow and develop. The thyroid gland is located in the lower part of the neck, below the Adam's apple, wrapped around the trachea. It has the shape of a butterfly with two lobes attached to one another by a middle part called the isthmus. The thyroid uses iodine, a mineral found in some foods and in iodized salt, to make its hormones. The two most important thyroid hormones are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine
Some of these diagnoses include a physical exam, blood sample, radioactive iodine uptake and ultrasound1. With a physical exam, the doctor will check the patient’s eyes to see if they are bulging out or the area around the eye looks enlarged. They well check to see if the thyroid gland is abnormally large and because of its association with increase metabolism, the doctor will check the pulse and blood pressure of the patient and look for signs of tremors which are involuntary quivering movements1. Only in severe cases will a blood test detect TSI in the bloodstream, if TSI does not show up in a patient’s blood, then a radioactive iodine may be conducted. This is because the thyroid intakes iodine from the bloodstream and uses that iodine in order to make thyroid hormones so the radioactive iodine is inserted in the bloodstream and is collected by the thyroid gland, is the thyroid gland collects large amounts of this radioactive iodine, then the patient may have Graves’ disease3. If the patient is pregnant, that patient cannot undergo radioactive treatment because the radioactive iodine could harm the fetus’ thyroid and can be passed from the mother to the child in breast milk if the mother is breastfeeding4. An ultrasound can use the high-frequency waves to produce images of structures inside the body and can show if the thyroid gland is enlarged or
Thyroid hormone deficiency in the body is risky to the malfunction of the vital organs. Alterations like lowering and slowing of the biological processes in the body are assumed by the illness. These variations may replicate those that come about with age. The symptoms associated with hypothyroidism may be difficult to describe especially in the old persons. Hypothyroidism can show different manifestations and signs, depending on the health condition, age and sex of the patient. Thus, for it to be treated appropriately, the nursing practitioner has to have the correct diagnosis (Garber, 2012). Since the disorder is more evident at old age, it is, therefore, vital for thyroid disorder among the aged to be a matter of discussion (Laurberg, 2005). Thus, this thesis aims at discussing the effects of hypothyroidism to a seventy years old male
Your health care provider may also suspect a thyroid nodule based on your symptoms. You may also have tests, including:
They described interesting study report that TBSRTC (The Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology) for FNAC of thyroid is a definitive diagnostic test to triage patients on the requirement of surgery and to differentiate malignant from non-malignant lesions in children and youth. They conducted a prospective study of 18 months. FNAC was performed on 106 children, mean age was 18.9 years. Majority were female in 20-24 years age group out of 106 patients distribution o f diagnostic category as I-4.7%, II-85.8%, II-4.7%, IV-1.9%, V-0.9%, and VI-2%.
When doing my research, I found a blogger who had a similar experience as I, when it came to their doctor. Funnier, she even had the same argument! This writer went on to state how her doctor had made an irrational remark saying "Maybe it's not your thyroid, maybe you just need to get off the couch and eat less." Harsh, right? I unfortunately had about the same response from my doctor when I went in for a CT.
The thyroid gland is located in the neck. This gland produces the hormones that help control the metabolism. With age, said gland can become protruding (nodular). The metabolism decreases with time, beginning around 20 years of age. Because thyroid hormones are produced and broken down (metabolized) at the same rate, tests of thyroid function are usually still normal. In some people thyroid hormone levels may rise, leading to an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
The gland is composed of two lobes that lie on each side of the trachea and is connected centrally by the isthmus. The isthmus overlies the trachea. Surrounding the thyroid are many muscles and vessels. It is important to acknowledge and recognize the surrounding anatomy of the thyroid gland. The average size of each gland found the normal adult is forty to sixty millimeters in length, and thirteen to eighteen millimeters in anterior posterior measurements. The thickness of the isthmus is usually four to six millimeters in thickness. Sonographically, the healthy thyroid appears as medium to high level echoes, with the same echotexture throughout. The superior thyroid artery and vein are found in the superior portion of each lobe, and the inferior artery and vein can be found in the inferior portion of each thyroid lobe. It can be very easy for an untrained sonographer to confuse the esophagus with a thyroid mass. The esophagus can be located usually on the left side. The main cause for nodular thyroid disease is hyperplasia. Whenever hyperplasia causes a relative increase in volume or size to the gland it is then termed goiter. Thyroid cancers are rare, and most biopsies that are performed on nodules are benign. Usually cancerous thyroid nodules will appear homogeneous, hypoechoic, and are typically taller than wide. The appearance of both cancerous and benign nodules can vary from cystic components, calcifications, mixed echotextures, and different echogenicity’s. Hashimotos thyroiditis is the most common type of thyroiditis, and is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in North America. Sonographically, the appearance of the thyroid with this disease will appear course, and have mixed
The thyroid gland is located in the area that is between your voice box and the collarbones
It is important during a thyroidectomy to understand and recognize the parathyroid glands to keep for an unintentional removal. One of the most common complications after a thyroidectomy surgery is parathyroid failure. The major problem with this is that it could cause hypocalcemia because the thyroid and parathyroid gland are needed for the balance of the blood calcium level. During the discussion and planning of surgery, a test should be required to locate the parathyroid glands, this will lower the risk for an accidental parathyroidectomy. The individuals working the case for this surgery should count and recheck the number of parathyroid glands, there should be at least four if patient has not had any previous surgeries, this is to avoid and unplanned parathyroidectomy.
“The thyroid gland is located proximal to the throat, in front of the neck, under the thyroid cartilage”. The thyroid cartilage is also referred to as the “Adam’s Apple” (“Thyroid Cancer” 1). This “gland produces several important hormones”. These thyroid hormones control body temperature, weight, and energy level. Included in these hormones is “Calcitonin, which helps the body use calcium” (“Thyroid Cancer” 1).
The levels of T4 and TSH are vital for the diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Hence, it is quite difficult to draw the conclusions by the use of the clinical symptoms only. The functioning of thyroid aberrations have to be screened for once an aged individual shows one or some the signs of the disorder (Franklyn, 2013).