Thyroid Pain
A Primer on Thyroid Pain And How It Is Treated
We're going to talk about thyroid pain, both in terms of discomfort felt in the thyroid gland itself, and pain experienced elsewhere in the body with an abnormality of the thyroid being the cause. Pain of course is our body's way of telling us that something isn't right. Thyroid pain, or thyroid caused pain, is not a cause for alarm in most instances, yet it should never be ignored and a visit to your doctor would be in order. Let's look first at pain in the thyroid gland itself. Then, we’ll discuss pain which occurs elsewhere in the body but is caused by a thyroid abnormality.
There are three major causes of pain in the thyroid gland, symptoms arising from an underactive thyroid condition (hypothyroidism) is one, inflammation of the thyroid gland (thyroiditis) is another, and symptoms arising from the presence of cancer of the thyroid gland is the third. There are of course other causes of thyroid pain, from injury for example, but we’ll limit this discussion to pain resulting from an abnormal thyroid condition. Included is the instance where the treatment of the condition, such as radiation therapy, can also be a source of a painful condition. Let's take a look at these three major causes of thyroid pain.
Hypothyroidism, where an insufficient supply of hormones are being produced by the thyroid gland, is not normally a direct cause of pain in the gland itself. There are instances however, where pain in the thyroid gland is a direct result of hypothyroidism, but this is rather rare. However, the presence of hypothyroidism can lay the foundation for other conditions, such as thyroiditis, which is often accompanied by painful symptoms.
Thyroiditis is an inflammation of the thyroid gland. One type of inflammation may directly result from a hypothyroid condition. Other types of thyroiditis can occur when the thyroid gland has been attacked, either by certain antibodies in the system (Hashimoto's disease), by a virus (Grave's disease), or by bacterial infection. Hashimoto's disease often creates the most painful condition since tissue is being destroyed by antibodies.
Painful bouts of thyroiditis may also be induced by certain drugs and radiation treatments. One type of thyroiditis, most often attacking pregnant women is generally neither painful nor long lasting. In many cases of painful thyroiditis a mild inflammatory agent, such as ibuprofen, may be prescribed to manage the pain. A physician may prescribe other drugs in those instances where pain becomes acute.
Another source of pain in the thyroid gland is cancer. Bleeding or hemorrhaging of a cyst or tumor can result in pain, as can a tumor pressing against a bone or nerve. .Swollen lymph nodes often accompany a cancerous condition and can also be a source of discomfort.
Abnormal thyroid conditions can also be the cause of pain elsewhere in the body. Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are believed to cause pain in the joints and muscles, although exactly how this occurs is not generally well understood. Swelling is the main symptom, with pain occurring as a result of swollen tissue pressing on nerves. Fibromyalgia, in which parts of the body can become very tender, is believed by many to be caused by hypothyroidism. .
Most thyroid induced pain, whether in the gland itself or elsewhere in the body, is generally mild and easily managed. It is important of course to remember that managing the pain only masks the symptoms; the cause of these symptoms must also be addressed.