Thyroid symptoms

Premise

Thyroid symptoms is an improper way to define the symptoms and signs of the pathologies that affect the thyroid gland.

The purpose of this article is to list, in a rather schematic way, the main clinical manifestations of the most common thyroid diseases (which, in a country like Italy, affect 20% of the general population).

Before proceeding with the list of the various symptoms, it is useful to briefly review what these diseases are and what they are characterized for:

Hyperthyroidism . It is the direct result of an overactive thyroid that produces excess thyroid hormones, even when there is really no need for it.
In other words, there is hyperthyroidism when the thyroid gland produces a quantity of thyroid hormones higher than the body's needs.
Hypothyroidism . It is the exact opposite of hyperthyroidism. Therefore, it is the direct consequence of a thyroid that is not very active and does not produce a quantity of thyroid hormones suitable for satisfying the body's needs.
The goiter . It is the generalized pathological enlargement of the thyroid. Its onset can be associated with various problems, including the aforementioned hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.
Thyroiditis . It is inflammation of the thyroid. It often has an autoimmune origin.
The thyroid nodules . They are anomalous protuberances of the thyroid gland, generally well delimited and circumscribed, having more often a benign than malignant nature.
Thyroid cancer . It is the malignant thyroid tumor and represents a major cause of thyroidectomy, which is the thyroid removal surgery.

Perhaps readers don't know that ...

According to a survey by the World Health Organization, around one billion people with a disease or thyroid dysfunction worldwide.

Symptoms Hyperthyroidism

To learn more, read: Symptoms Hyperthyroidism "

The presence of an excess of circulating thyroid hormones - index of hyperthyroidism - induces various changes:

increases cardiac activity and oxygen consumption (the second derives from the first),
promotes elevation of basal body temperature,
increases the catabolic activity of metabolism
alters the balance of the nervous system .

In the individual concerned, these changes are responsible for:

Decreased body weight, despite an increase in appetite and introduced food;
Excessive sweating, warm and velvety skin, and high temperature intolerance;
Increased heart rate, arrhythmias, palpitations, hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy;
Anxiety, nervousness, restlessness, mental fatigue and insomnia;
Shortness of breath, fatigue (muscle weakness), increased respiratory rate and hand tremors;
Graves ophthalmopathy (see also Graves' disease or Basedow's disease); this involves protruding eyes, puffy red eyes, eye pain, sensitivity to light, double vision and reduction of ocular motility;
Brittle, fine and thin hair;
Fall in fertility and sexual desire;
Menstrual cycle abnormalities (reduced or absent flows), in women, and gynecomastia, in men;
Accelerated intestinal transit, accompanied by diarrhea;
Thyroid enlargement (goiter);
Behavioral disorders and learning difficulties in children.

Curiosity about hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is one of the most common endocrine-metabolic disorders, along with diabetes.

It can occur at any age; however, it is particularly common among women aged 20-50 and women over the age of 60.

According to some statistical surveys, in the United States, it would affect 1.2% of the population and would result from Graves' disease in as many as 50-80% of cases.

In Italy, it would affect 1.2-2% of the population and would have an incidence on women of at least 3-4 times more than men.

Hypothyroidism symptoms

To learn more, read: Symptoms Hypothyroidism "

In the fetus and young human being, thyroid hormones are essential for proper body growth, proper brain development and regular skeletal growth. Consequently, without an adequate contribution, an individual of young or very young age can present an extremely slow growth rate, suffer from dwarfism (or pituitary dwarfism), show a certain mental retardation (the so-called cretinism) and demonstrate a reduced sexual development .

In adult subjects, the consequences of hypothyroidism are decidedly less profound, compared to the previous circumstances, but still important and evident; normally, they consist of:

Dry skin and thin and thin hair;
Physical fatigue and chronic muscle weakness (asthenia);
Narrow eyelids and rhymes, scarce eyebrows, half-open mouth and swollen tongue. These signs give the face of the patient with hypothyroidism the unmistakable and unintelligent aspect of the " mixed- facial facies ";
Cold skin and intolerance at low temperatures;
Drowsiness, lethargy, depression and slowing of ideational processes;
Constipation, increased body weight, swelling of the face, paleness, anemia, hoarseness and lowering of the tone of the voice;
Memory deficit;
Hearing loss;
Abundant menstrual flows (menorrhagia);
Muscle cramps, joint stiffness and joint swelling;
Bradycardia (reduction in heart rate), reduction in the contractile force of the heart and vasoconstriction;
Increased levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and serum triglycerides, resulting in a significant increase in the risk of coronary heart disease.

Curiosity about hypothyroidism

It is estimated that hypothyroidism affects an average of 0.5-1% of the population, with a clear prevalence in females and people of advanced age.

The most widespread form of hypothyroidism is primitive hypothyroidism, which is hypothyroidism dependent on a problem with the thyroid.

Hypothyroidism has a strong association with two fairly well known genetic diseases: Down syndrome and Turner syndrome (an exclusive disease of the female sex).

Goiter Symptoms

To learn more, read: Gozzo Symptoms »

There are different degrees of goiter:

diffuse goiter, if there is a total involvement of the thyroid;
multinodular goiter, if there is an involvement of several areas of the thyroid, but not total
uninodular goiter, if there is extremely limited involvement of the thyroid.

Depending on the degree of goiter, the latter can cause:

Difficulty in swallowing ( dysphagia ), due to a compression and / or deviation of the esophagus;
Difficulty breathing ( dyspnea ), following a compression and / or deviation of the trachea;
Difficulty in sound emission ( dysphonia ), resulting in a compression and / or deformation of the larynx;
Headache ;
Exophthalmos (protrusion pathology of the eyeballs).

When the goiter is accompanied by hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, the symptomatological picture is enriched by the symptoms and signs that characterize these two thyroid dysfunctions described above.

Short revision of the thyroid

The thyroid is an unequal endocrine gland, located in the anterior region of the neck, at the base of the throat.

Thanks to the hormones it produces (T3, T4 and calcitonin), rule:

Body metabolism (for example, affects oxygen consumption; controls the synthesis and degradation of cholesterol; stimulates lipolysis and lipogenesis; increases glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis, etc.);
Skeletal and cerebral development, starting from fetal life;
Protein synthesis;
The development of the skin, the hair apparatus and the genital organs;
The heartbeat;
Body temperature;
The hematopoiesis.

Thyroiditis symptoms

To learn more, read: Thyroiditis Symptoms "

There are various types of thyroiditis .

The most well-known and widespread type of thyroiditis is, without doubt, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease; Hashimoto's thyroiditis is responsible, in the first instance (that is, at the beginning), for a symptomatology that is superimposable to that of hyperthyroidism, and, secondarily (in a more advanced phase), of the symptoms and signs typical of hypothyroidism .

Other important types of thyroiditis are:

Postpartum thyroiditis, whose symptoms are initially those of hyperthyroidism and, at a later stage, those of hypothyroidism;
Subacute thyroiditis, which causes the same symptoms as hyperthyroidism;
Acute thyroiditis, which causes the same symptoms as hypothyroidism.

Curiosity about Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common type of thyroiditis in the Western world.

In the United States, it affects as many as 14 million people, mostly women; in Italy, it affects 5-15% of women and 1-5% of men.

In addition to covering mainly women (the ratio of sick women to sick men is 5-10: 1), it is more common among adults: its occurrence during the second decade of age concerns 1-2% of the population, while its onset between 50 and 60 years affects 3-4% of people.

Individuals at particular risk of Hashimoto's thyroiditis are those who suffer from other autoimmune diseases, such as celiac disease, Addison's disease, type I diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.

Symptoms Thyroid Nodules

To learn more, read: Thyroid Nodule Symptoms "

In most cases, thyroid nodules are asymptomatic, meaning they do not cause any symptoms.

However, if they occupy an uncomfortable position, they are large or appear in multiple mode, they are potentially capable of causing symptoms such as:

Discomfort and, at times, real pain, where they reside;
Large thyroid, evidenced by a swelling on the neck;
Difficulty in swallowing due to the compression exerted on the esophagus;
Hoarseness;
Breathing problems, due to compression exerting tracheal damage.

Furthermore, there is the uncommon possibility that the thyroid nodules influence the hormonal activity of the thyroid, strengthening or limiting it; when the thyroid nodules enhance the hormonal production of the thyroid, they are responsible for a symptomatological picture that recalls that of hyperthyroidism; when they limit the hormonal production of the thyroid, they cause the same symptoms and signs induced by hypothyroidism.

Frequently asked questions about thyroid nodules

Q: Is there a way to notice the presence of thyroid nodules?

A: If superficial or large, and not particularly located in depth, the thyroid nodules can be identified by palpation of the thyroid, even by an inexperienced hand.

Q: What is the probability that a thyroid nodule evolves into a thyroid cancer?

R: Statistics in hand, the malignant evolution of a benign thyroid nodule concerns only 5-10% of individuals with one of these anomalous protuberances, so it is quite rare.