Does thyroiditis cause a sore throat?

Written by Li Hui Zhi

Endocrinology

Updated on September 29, 2024

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Thyroiditis often refers to subacute thyroiditis, a disease caused by a viral infection. The most common symptoms include sore throat, fever, pain in the front of the neck, palpitations, and weight loss. Therefore, many people might think it is a throat inflammation and initially visit an otolaryngologist. In such cases, it is essential to promptly check thyroid function and perform a thyroid ultrasound, as well as examine erythrocyte sedimentation rate and complete blood count. If these symptoms occur, it is important to seek timely treatment from an endocrinology specialist.

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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.

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Written by Xu Dong Dong

Endocrinology

1min 25sec

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Does thyroiditis require rest?

Some periods of thyroiditis require rest. The common types of thyroiditis clinically include subacute thyroiditis and autoimmune thyroiditis. Subacute thyroiditis has a relatively sudden onset, characterized by neck pain radiating to the back of the ear, fever, loss of appetite, tachycardia, muscle pain, excessive sweating, etc. If these acute symptoms are severe, rest is necessary, and treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids is required. If the symptoms are mild, involving only slight pain and discomfort, it might not be necessary to rest and one can continue working, but it is important to reduce the workload. In the case of autoimmune thyroiditis, most patients have a relatively stable condition and can carry on with normal work and life. However, if autoimmune thyroiditis enters a phase of hyperthyroidism with symptoms of high metabolism, it is also necessary to rest for a period. Some patients in the middle to late stages might experience symptoms of reduced thyroid function, such as dizziness, fatigue, chest tightness, and edema. If these conditions occur, it is appropriate to take some time to rest.

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Written by Luo Juan

Endocrinology

50sec

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Causes of Acute Thyroiditis

We generally refer to acute thyroiditis as an acute suppurative thyroiditis, which is a type of purulent infectious disease, often caused by a mixed bacterial infection, such as staphylococcus, streptococcus, gram-negative bacilli, and anaerobes, etc. Patients with compromised or deficient immune functions, such as those with AIDS, leukemia, diabetes, can also have infections like fungi and pneumocystis. Some thyroid nodules, due to events like necrosis or cystic changes from punctures, can also cause a suppurative infection, and this condition is generally common among middle-aged and elderly patients. Therefore, the main cause of acute thyroiditis is mostly due to infections.

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Written by Li Hui Zhi

Endocrinology

54sec

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Initial symptoms of thyroiditis

If it is the early stage of subacute thyroiditis, the patient will experience a fever, mainly in the afternoon or at night. Secondly, there is pain when bending the neck forward, and many patients feel as if they have a sore throat and thus visit the otolaryngology department. Thirdly, in the early stages, the patient experiences transient hyperthyroidism, with symptoms such as palpitations, excessive sweating, weight loss, and insomnia. Therefore, with these symptoms, it is advisable to promptly visit an endocrinology specialist for further thyroid function tests and thyroid ultrasound, followed by a definitive diagnosis and comprehensive treatment.

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Written by Zhang Jun Jun

Endocrinology

1min 24sec

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How is thyroiditis treated?

Thyroiditis is primarily divided into acute, subacute, and chronic types, along with some painless and postpartum thyroiditis. If it is acute or subacute thyroiditis, it is a self-limiting disease caused by viral infections, and there is no need to use drugs that adjust thyroid function. Treatment mainly involves the use of non-steroidal or hormonal medications, as well as drugs that control heart rate. If it is autoimmune thyroiditis, commonly referred to as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, it often presents with positive thyroid antibodies. In the early stages, thyroid function may be normal, but typically progresses to reduced thyroid function over time. When thyroid function tests reveal reduced thyroid function, timely supplementation of thyroid hormone levels can control this type of autoimmune thyroiditis within a normal range. Additionally, for painless thyroiditis and postpartum thyroiditis, particularly the latter, which is often related to the mechanism of postpartum immune changes, it primarily depends on whether thyroid function has changed. If there is no change in thyroid function, treatment is temporarily unnecessary. (Medication should be administered under the guidance of a doctor.)