Symptoms of hypothyroidism in thyroiditis

Written by Liang Yin
Endocrinology
Updated on September 05, 2024
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There are many types of thyroiditis, and the most common one associated with hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include multi-system involvement. In the nervous system, it manifests as reduced memory and attention, and drowsiness; in the cardiovascular system, it presents as bradycardia, faint heart sounds, and cardiac enlargement; in the musculoskeletal system, it manifests as slowed movement and joint disorders; in the digestive system, it presents as loss of appetite, bloating, and constipation; in the respiratory system, it manifests as weak and shallow breathing; in the hematologic system, it can manifest as anemia; in the endocrine system, it can present as reduced gonadal function accompanied by hyperprolactinemia, menorrhagia, amenorrhea or infertility, hair loss, and the skin and mucous membranes appear pale with myxedema.

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Written by Chen Xie
Endocrinology
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Re-examination of thyroiditis includes checking for what?

Thyroiditis includes autoimmune thyroiditis and subacute thyroiditis. For patients with subacute thyroiditis, it is recommended to check thyroid function, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and complete blood count among others to understand the control of the infection and the status of thyroid function. For autoimmune thyroiditis, it is advised to check thyroid function as well as thyroperoxidase antibodies and thyroglobulin antibodies to understand the function of the thyroid and the related antibody status. Additionally, a re-examination of thyroid ultrasound is recommended to assess the condition of the thyroid.

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Written by Chen Xie
Endocrinology
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Does thyroiditis hurt?

The most common causes of thyroiditis refer to subacute thyroiditis and autoimmune thyroiditis. Subacute thyroiditis is mainly caused by viral infection, leading to the destruction of thyroid follicular cells. This generally results in pain in the thyroid region, which can even radiate to areas like the back of the neck and ears, with the pain symptoms being relatively significant. Meanwhile, Hashimoto's thyroiditis typically does not present with pain, although a small number of patients may experience localized pain during the onset of the disease, but the symptoms are usually mild. Additionally, the pain in the neck thyroid region associated with subacute thyroiditis varies from person to person, with varying degrees of pain intensity. It is primarily treatable with steroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and generally, the symptoms can be relieved after treatment.

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Written by Zhang Jun Jun
Endocrinology
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There are several types of thyroiditis.

Thyroiditis primarily includes acute, subacute, and chronic forms. Acute and subacute thyroiditis are generally seen in bacterial and viral infections, while chronic thyroiditis mainly consists of autoimmune thyroiditis, painless thyroiditis, and postpartum thyroiditis. However, autoimmune thyroiditis itself encompasses five scenarios, including Hashimoto's thyroiditis, atrophic thyroiditis, painless thyroiditis, euthyroid thyroiditis, and Hashitoxicosis. These types of thyroiditis are mainly seen in chronic thyroid conditions and are all autoimmune diseases. Therefore, the type of thyroiditis should be determined based on the cause to develop appropriate treatment plans.

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Written by Zhang Jun Jun
Endocrinology
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Symptoms of thyroiditis and hypothyroidism

Because the onset of hypothyroidism is gradual, its early symptoms are atypical. Specific symptoms only appear when there is a decrease in basal metabolic rate and a reduction in sympathetic nerve excitability. Generally, symptoms include cold intolerance, fatigue, swelling of hands and feet, drowsiness, memory decline, reduced sweating, joint pain, weight gain, constipation, and menstrual irregularities such as heavy or light periods, or infertility in women of childbearing age. Additionally, some common clinical signs include expressionless face, slow response, hoarse voice, hearing impairment, pale complexion, edema around the eyelids, face and lower limbs, thick tongue coating often with teeth marks. Moreover, there are also associated symptoms such as dry skin, flaky skin, low skin temperature, and the hands and feet turning a yellowish-orange color.

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Written by Luo Juan
Endocrinology
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What are the symptoms of acute thyroiditis?

Acute thyroiditis generally refers to acute suppurative thyroiditis, a type of pyogenic infectious disease. For instance, many patients may exhibit symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection or experience swelling, pain, or difficulty swallowing in the lateral aspect of the thyroid in the anterior neck following a fine needle aspiration biopsy of a thyroid nodule. The local skin over the thyroid may display erythema or heat, and some may also have systemic symptoms of a febrile disease, such as increased body temperature, generalized body aches, and fatigue, along with swelling and pain in the cervical lymph nodes. Thus, the primary symptoms of acute thyroiditis are infectious, accompanied by symptoms of compression pain due to thyroid enlargement.