Thyroid inflammation

Thyroiditis is a common disease. Thyroiditis is caused by the invasion of bacteria, viruses, etc. into the human body, which causes enlargement and nodular changes of the thyroid gland. It is medically called thyroiditis. Depending on the slowness of onset, it can be divided into three types: acute, subacute, and chronic. Acute thyroiditis is caused by bacterial infection, and symptoms include redness and swelling of the thyroid gland, fever, headache, and sometimes high fever and hoarseness.

Symptoms of thyroiditis

1. The size of subacute thyroiditis nodules depends on the extent of the lesions, and the texture is often hard. There is a typical medical history, including an acute onset, fever, sore throat, and significant pain and tenderness in the thyroid area. In the acute phase, the thyroid gland's iodine-131 uptake rate decreases, and imaging often shows "cold nodules". Serum T3 and T4 increase, showing a "separation" phenomenon, which is helpful for diagnosis.

2. Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis is a symmetrical diffuse goiter without nodules; sometimes due to asymmetric swelling and lobed surface, it may resemble a nodule, be hard as rubber, and not tender. The disease has a slow onset and a chronic development process, but it can occur simultaneously with thyroid cancer. It is difficult to distinguish clinically and requires attention. Antithyroglobulin and microsomal antibody titers are often elevated. Thyroid fine needle aspiration cytology can aid in the diagnosis.

The nodules of aggressive fibrous thyroiditis are hard and adherent to the adjacent tissues outside the gland. The onset and development process are slow, and there may be local dull pain and tenderness accompanied by obvious compression symptoms.

Traditional Chinese medicine has many unique features in the treatment of thyroiditis. Many people think that Chinese medicine practitioners are slow doctors, but in fact, Chinese medicine is more effective in treating many acute diseases. Chinese medicine believes that thyroiditis is caused by stagnation of liver qi. The treatment of thyroiditis is recorded in ancient Chinese books. Patients with thyroiditis can use Chinese medicine prescriptions with significant results.