How long does painful thyroiditis last

Blood tests also can show if you have antibodies present in your body. Your doctor may do a radioactive iodine uptake test. Most cases of thyroiditis cannot be prevented. If you have a health issue that requires treatment using radioactive iodine or radiation therapy, talk to your doctor about your risk of thyroiditis. You may be able to start with other treatments to avoid your chance of thyroiditis.

If you take prescription drugs that can cause thyroiditis, talk to your doctor about your risk and if you can stop taking them. You still may not be able to avoid thyroiditis. If you have symptoms of hyperthyroidism, your doctor may prescribe a medicine called a beta blocker. This helps to lower your heart rate and reduce tremors. Since hyperthyroidism often is temporary, your doctor likely will taper the dose of this medicine as your symptoms improve.

If you have symptoms of hypothyroidism, your doctor may prescribe thyroid hormone replacements. It can take several tries to get the right dose of synthetic thyroid hormone. Your doctor may taper the dose of this drug over time as your symptoms improve. Talk to your doctor if you have pain in your thyroid. They may recommend a mild anti-inflammatory, such as aspirin or ibuprofen to manage the pain.

Severe thyroid pain may require treatment with steroid therapy. Thyroiditis and its symptoms may be temporary. In this case, you will be able to live a normal life following treatment. If the condition returns or is permanent, work with your doctor to manage symptoms. If you do not get treatment, damage to your thyroid may continue and could lead to more health issues.

For women, you may have problems with fertility or your children could be born with birth defects. American Academy of Family Physicians, Hyperthyroidism. American Academy of Family Physicians, Hypothyroidism. This article was contributed by: familydoctor. This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone.

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Typical symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, constipation, dry skin, depression and poor exercise tolerance. Subacute Thyroiditis — Subacute thyroiditis follows the same clinical course as painless and post-partum thyroiditis, but is often accompanied by thyroidal pain. The thyroidal pain in patients with subacute thyroiditis usually follows the same timeframe of the thyrotoxic phase months.

However, not all patients with thyroidal pain necessarily have thyrotoxicosis. Recurrence of subacute thyroiditis is rare. Drug-Induced and Radiation Thyroiditis — Both thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism may be seen in these disorders. The thyrotoxicosis is usually short-lived. Druginduced hypothyroidism often resolves with stopping the drug, while the hypothyroidism related to radiation thyroiditis is usually permanent.

The symptoms usually resolve once the infection resolves. Thyroiditis Brochure PDF. El folleto de Tiroiditis. For information on thyroid patient support organizations, please visit the Patient Support Links section on the ATA website at www.

Thyroiditis FAQs. The course of thyroiditis depends on the type of thyroiditis. Silent thyroiditis, Painless thyroiditis Anti-thyroid antibodies, autoimmune disease Thyrotoxicosis followed by hypothyroidism. Post partum thyroiditis Anti-thyroid antibodies, autoimmune disease Thyrotoxicosis followed by hypothyroidism. Thyroid function tests, thyroid antibody tests Often continues as long as the drug is taken Radiation induced Follows treatment with radioactive iodine for hyperthyroidism or external beam radiation therapy for certain cancers.

Occasionally thyrotoxicosis, more frequently hypothyroidism.. Thyroid function tests Thyrotoxicosis is transient, hypothyroidism is usually permanent Acute thyroiditis, Suppurative thyroiditis Bacteria mainly, but any infectious organism Occasionally painful thyroid, generalized illness, occasional mild hypothyroidism Thyroid function tests, radioactive iodine uptake, fine needle aspiration biopsy Resolves after treatment of infectious cause, may cause severe illness.

Treatment depends on the type of thyroiditis and the clinical presentation. Thyrotoxicosis — Beta blockers to decrease palpitations fast heart rate and decrease tremors may be helpful. The first stage of subacute thyroiditis usually lasts for less than three months.

The second stage may last for an additional nine to 15 months. Subacute granulomatous thyroiditis: This is the most common type of subacute thyroiditis. Postpartum thyroiditis: This occurs in women within one year after giving birth, and usually goes away within 18 months. Women who develop this form of thyroiditis are thought to have an underlying autoimmune disease that causes the inflammation.

Symptoms occur in two phases, starting with hyperthyroid symptoms and moving to hypothyroid symptoms. Subacute lymphocytic thyroiditis: This also occurs during the postpartum period. Hyperthyroid symptoms develop earlier usually within three months after giving birth , and hypothyroid symptoms can last for several months after. Palpation thyroiditis: This develops when thyroid follicles are damaged from mechanical manipulation such as repeated examination of the thyroid gland or surgery.

All of the subtypes of subacute thyroiditis follow a similar course of symptoms, with hyperthyroid developing first. The key differences are the causes. Your doctor will feel and examine your neck to see if the thyroid gland is enlarged or inflamed. Your doctor will order a blood test to confirm a subacute thyroiditis diagnosis. This test will check the levels of certain hormones in your blood. Specifically, the blood test will measure your thyroid hormone, or free T4 , and thyroid stimulating hormone TSH levels.

The results of the blood test will vary depending on the stage of the disease. In the initial stages, your free T4 levels will be high while your TSH levels will be low. In the later stages, your TSH levels will be high while your T4 levels will be low. An abnormal level of either hormone indicates subacute thyroiditis. In some cases, this is the only treatment required for subacute thyroiditis. Possible medications include:.

Treatment for hyperthyroidism is important at the beginning of the disease. However, it will not be helpful once your condition progresses into the second phase. Treatment for subacute thyroiditis is usually temporary. Your doctor will eventually wean you off any medications that have been prescribed to treat the condition. There are no clear preventive measures for subacute thyroiditis because the precise cause is unknown.

Recurrence is not common. In many cases, subacute thyroiditis resolves on its own without warning. The overall prognosis depends on the extent of damage in the thyroid gland.