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Online Thyroid Support and Information

Coping For Patients on the World Wide Web

Aug 29, 2009 Jim Lowrance

Thyroid patients can be profoundly affected by symptoms and changes to their lives that thyroid disease can bring but there are helpful online coping-resources available.

The internet contains a wonderful source of helpful information and places of support offered to patients suffering chronic diseases, including thyroid-related ones. Patients suffering under-active and overactive thyroid disorder symptoms can connect to fellow patients and become self-educated about the disease that is affecting their lives.

Thyroid Patient Advocate Information Sites

There are a large number of dependable and reputable information sources online that supply helpful information that can be relied upon. It should first be pointed out that there are a number of well-informed writers on this great Suite101 website, that offer information on a full range of thyroid related subjects. You’ll find articles on hyperthyroid, hypothyroid, and thyroid autoimmunity conditions and about symptom manifestations that are experienced with these disorders.

Many of the writers of online thyroid disease information are also fellow thyroid patients or what are also referred to as “Thyroid Patient Advocates”. In addition to Suite101 authors for Thyroid Disorders there are website information sources by well-studied patient advocates who are also well recognized authors of best selling books on thyroid subjects, including Elaine Moore of Suite101 and Mary Shomon, creator of the thyroid-info.com website. Patients can take advantage of the great information offered by these authors, both online and by obtaining their books in print.

Medical Thyroid Information Sites

These type sites offer information from a purely medical standpoint, without the fellow-patient view but can also be greatly instrumental in helping thyroid patients become better educated about their disorders. While doctors can help patients gain a general understanding about their conditions, they seldom have the time needed to fully educate their patients as they desire to be. Learning about a disease that is often life-long and that can cause a degree of change in activity and lifestyle by patients who suffer them, can help take away some of the fear and uncertainty from the experience, especially in newly diagnosed patients.

Medical thyroid information sites that can be helpful to patients, include the American Thyroid Association, Thyroid Disease Manager and the American Thyroid Association (patient brochures) .

Patient Blogs and Forums

Many patients have blogs online, where they post ongoing information about their personal experience with thyroid disease. Other patients reading their posts can find experiences they relate to, that can help them feel less alone with their disease. Some blogs also allow posting via message boards or forums that are available on their pages. Other forums and message boards are for the sole purpose of posting thyroid-related questions and for fellow-patient information sharing and support. Some are also moderated by volunteer medical professionals who reply to patient's questions.

An online search using Google or other search engines, including the keywords “thyroid blogs”, “personal thyroid stories” and “thyroid forums and message boards”, will yield many pages showing the available resources in these areas. Thyroid patients who feel the need for support and/or information can take advantage of these type resources and if they do not own a computer, can go online free of charge at a public library.

The copyright of the article Online Thyroid Support and Information in General Medicine is owned by Jim Lowrance. Permission to republish Online Thyroid Support and Information in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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