WORDS – a rough guide to meanings

(For more help consult a medical dictionary)

Autoimmune	describing inflammation or destruction of body tissues caused by an “attack” from the person’s own immune system. Hashimoto’s disease or Graves Disease occur when the thyroid has been affected. Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are other autoimmune diseases.
Delusion	a false belief.
Depression	excessive sadness.
Endocrine gland	a gland that manufactures one or more hormones and secretes them directly into the bloodstream.
Endocrinology	the study of the endocrine glands and the hormones they secrete.
Hallucination	an experience of something that is “not really there”. May be seen, heard, smelt, touched or tasted only by the person having the hallucination.
Hormone	a substance produced in the body and carried by the bloodstream to organs or tissues where it acts to modify their structure or function.
Hyperthyroidism	overactive thyroid disease in which too much thyroid hormone is produced. Also called thyrotoxicosis. A person with overactive thyroid disease is described as “hyperthyroid”.
Hypothyroidism	underactive thyroid disease in which not enough thyroid hormone is produced. Also called myxoedema. A person with underactive thyroid disease is described as “hypothyroid”.
Metabolism	describes the processes that take place in the body to enable it to grow and function. It involves the breakdown of complex organic constituents with the liberation of energy. Thyroid hormones are very important in metabolism.
Myxoedema	syndrome due to a lack of thyroid hormone in the bloodstream, sometimes causing swollen skin, also called “hypothyroidism”.
Myxoedematous Depression	excessive sadness and related problems caused by underactive thyroid disease.
Myxoedematous Psychosis	an organic mental disorder causing loss of contact with reality including things like hallucinations, delusions, abnormal behaviour or mood or thought disturbance caused by underactive thyroid disease.
Neurosis	anxiety disorder in which the sufferer maintains contact with reality.
Organic	“having a physical cause” an organic psychiatric disorder may be caused by a medical condition such as thyroid disease.
Paranoia	a feeling of being persecuted or delusions organized into a system – see “Delusion”.
Psychosis	a mental disorder causing loss of contact with reality including things like hallucinations, delusions, abnormal behaviour or mood or thought disturbance.
Post-natal	occurring after childbirth.
Post-partum	occurring soon after childbirth.
Puerperal	occurring after childbirth.
Schizophrenia	a kind of psychotic mental disorder – see “Psychosis”.
Thyroid	a large endocrine gland situated at the base of the neck concerned with regulation of the metabolic rate by the secretion of thyroid hormones.
Thyrotoxicosis	syndrome due to excessive amounts of thyroid hormone in the bloodstream, also called hyperthyroidism.
Thyroxine	one of the two main thyroid hormones which contain iodine and are essential for normal metabolic processes and mental and physical development. Thyroxine is the hormone commonly used to treat underactive thyroid disease. Commonly it is thought that the body can convert thyroxine into T3 as needed.
T3/triiodothyronine	another thyroid hormone which also contains iodine and is essential for normal metabolic processes and mental and physical development. T3 is sometimes used alone to treat underactive disease or combined with thyroxine.
TSH	thyroid stimulating hormone – a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland to regulate thyroid hormone production. Defects in TSH production lead to over or under secretion of thyroid hormomes. TSH is commonly measured in blood tests to diagnose thyroid disease.