Guest Author - Jim Lowrance

Mary Shomon’s book “Living Well with Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism” is a complete and thorough resource to help educate patients being treated for overactive thyroid glands of all causes, including Graves’ Disease, which is the number one cause of hyperthyroidism worldwide.

I appreciate the fact that Mary authored a book specifically for hyperthyroid patients and others who wish to learn about this thyroid disease, rather than simply including a detailed section for it in one of her other thyroid subject books. She could have easily done this with the fact that hypothyroid (under active thyroid) patients outnumber those with hyperthyroid conditions by about five to one. I believe this demonstrates her passion for providing thorough, quality information for hyperthyroid patients who also wish to live well with their disease. This book helps these patients to achieve and gain back as much quality-of-life as possible as treated hyperthyroid patients.

She addresses in detail the signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism, including those physical ones caused by an abnormally increased metabolism in the body. She also addresses those signs of bodily changes, including goiter (thyroid swelling), nodules (tumors on/in the gland), hair loss and weight loss as well as the emotional symptoms of anxiety and depression. Co-morbid conditions caused by hyperthyroidism and Graves’ are also discussed, including eye inflammation (Graves’ Ophthalmopathy) and skin related problems (Graves’ Dermopathy). She continues with a chapter on the vastly important subject of getting diagnosed so that treatment for relieving symptoms and to begin healing in the body can be administered by a qualified Doctor. A chapter on integrative and holistic treatments is also included in addition to discussions on conventional medical treatments.

Mary also takes a detailed look at the medical tests used to diagnose hyperthyroid conditions, including common blood tests of thyroid hormone levels and imaging tests that detect toxic goiter and hot nodules that may contribute to overproduction of hormone by the thyroid gland. She also discusses the subject of “thyroid antibodies” with special emphasis on the auto-antibody most commonly associated with Grave’s called “Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulins” (TSI).

In her thoroughness in covering these subjects related to hyperthyroidism, she also covers aspects relating to breastfeeding, infants, children and teens who, are affected. Also covered is the subject of post treatment hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) that requires treatment with thyroid hormone replacement therapy following removal or destruction of the gland in patients who require these type treatments.

I highly recommend this wonderful book to my readers who suffer hyperthyroidism, to those who suspect they may have an overactive thyroid and to anyone who is simply interested in a detailed study on all the important aspects of this serious but treatable thyroid condition. Patients can in fact live well with this disease and Mary Shomon has provided a great resource in helping patients to achieve this goal.