If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a thyroid condition, you've probably found out at least a little about this mysterious gland just enough to want to look for answers to the many questions that keep popping up in your mind. What causes this condition? How is it treated? What can you do to get healthy again? "Thyroid for Dummies, 2nd Edition" gives you the detailed information you're looking for on new methods for detecting thyroid disease in both adults and children, alternative treatments, pros and cons of powerful new drugs now on the market, advice for managing the disease through changes in exercise and diet, and much more. You discover: what the thyroid does; how to identify a sick thyroid and recognize who's at risk; ways to find the right thyroid doctor; how to cope with hypothyroidism in children; the hereditary connection to thyroid disease; how thyroid disease affects the elderly; the effects of hyperthyroidism during pregnancy; how to decide if surgery is necessary; and, ten myths about thyroid health.Updated to address advances made since the first edition, including the latest thinking on understanding thyroid disease's connection to depression and mania, "Thyroid for Dummies, 2nd Edition" will tell you everything you need to know about how the thyroid functions, what makes it malfunction, and what to do when a problem occurs.