The thyroid gland performs important functions in the endocrine system of the body. Violation of its functioning can lead to rapid fatigue, a drop in mood, a deterioration in overall well-being and further problems in the cardiovascular system and other organs. One of the most common diseases is the thyroid gland. It is difficult to recognize, therefore, it often acquires a chronic form, which leads to inflammatory processes in the gland, the appearance of neoplasms, and therefore, it may be necessary to resort to surgery for treatment.
Forms of the disease
Specialists distinguish three types of thyroiditis: acute, subacute or chronic. In turn, acute thyroiditis is purulent or not purulent. And the first type of disease is very rare. The disease with the formation of an abscess can manifest itself in case of simultaneous presence of inflammation of the thyroid gland and passage of an infectious disease. An acute form of the disease without purulent formation can occur after trauma or irradiation of other body tissues during the treatment of cancer.
Podystroi is most susceptible to the form of the disease in women aged 30 to 50 years, and it most often develops as a result of complications of various viral diseases. It should be noted that the inflammatory processes in thyroiditis can proceed, as in the whole organ, and only in its part.
However, the most common form of the disease is chronic. The reasons for its development are not fully understood. According to one version, this is the next stage of the Graves' disease, which has not been completely cured. In such a situation, antibodies can appear in the affected organ, which lead to the formation of a neoplasm. Chronic thyroiditis of the thyroid gland is most affected by older people( 40-50 years), and in women the signs of chronic thyroiditis are much more common than in men. Unfortunately, recently there has been an increase in young people with this disease, which is facilitated by negative environmental conditions and other causes.
Causes of
The most common thyroiditis develops after various infectious diseases affecting the respiratory tract, for example, sore throats or pneumonia. In such a situation, the infection enters the bloodstream and, thus, reaches the thyroid gland, which starts inflammation and can form purulent neoplasms, which are obvious signs of thyroiditis.
Thyroid thyroiditis can also develop as a result of injuries. In such a situation, organ damage occurs, leading to inflammatory processes and the manifestation of the symptoms of the disease.
Viral infections also contribute to the manifestation of the disease. If a virus appears in the body and the thyroid gland is damaged, new growths may appear in the organ that will create painful sensations when swallowing, and these are the first symptoms of thyroiditis.
Separately, chronic forms of thyroiditis, which arise as a result of the lack of treatment of various infectious diseases or other thyroid diseases, should be noted. In such a situation, mass formation of various adhesions occurs in the organ, which leads to disruption of its functioning and negative consequences for the organism.
Symptoms of thyroiditis
The first symptoms of an inflammation of the thyroid gland are a sensation of a "coma in the throat", pain with swallowing movements. Also, there may be pain in the neck, a rise in temperature. Therefore, many confuse such symptoms with angina and begin to engage in self-medication, which leads to the opposite effect - the disease becomes chronic.
Later, when there are difficulties with breathing and there is hoarseness in the voice, and the usual means of treating sore throats for a long time do not help, the patients nevertheless turn to the doctor. At this time, it is necessary to perform palpation of the thyroid gland. If inflammatory processes are present in the body, then there will be strong pain sensations. To make sure that this thyroiditis, you should additionally undergo an ultrasound examination.
If the disease has acquired a chronic character, then as a symptom there will be a rapid heartbeat, excessive sweating, fast fatigue, lethargy and so on. These are signs of a violation of the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. Identify these violations can be, including, using blood tests for the presence of iodine and the hormonal background of the body.
What should I do if signs of thyroiditis are found?
So, if the patient has found the described symptoms, you should promptly consult a doctor. Even if suspicions are not confirmed, and the thyroid gland is completely healthy, it is better than in the future to decide how to treat the inflammation of this organ, which has passed into a chronic stage.
If treatment of thyroiditis is still required, then it is necessary to strictly follow the instructions of the attending physician, follow the diet, take prescribed medications. It is also necessary to regularly undergo ultrasound examinations and consult an endocrinologist.
Prevention of inflammation of the thyroid gland, the symptoms of which have been described above, is reduced to the timely treatment of viral and infectious diseases. It should also avoid possible situations when such diseases can be infected, for example, by accidental unprotected sexual intercourse, as a result of which, under favorable conditions, a specific thyroiditis may develop, the treatment of which is much more difficult, and the consequences are much worse.
Prospects if you do not consult a doctor
In case of an acute form of the disease with the presence of purulent formation, an abscess can break out, and a purulent fluid can enter the pericardial space, which will lead to negative consequences. Also, pus can enter the vasculature of the throat and, thus, lead to the poisoning of brain tissue. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly control the symptoms and treatment to be carried out in full accordance with the doctor's recommendations. Only in this case there is a high probability of completely curing the disease and maintaining a healthy thyroid gland.
A subacute form of the disease can lead to the formation of neoplasms, which will require their removal by surgery. However, in most cases, if the patient has turned in time to the doctor, thyroiditis is cured without surgery. And the probability of complete recovery of the patient is high. There is a possibility of the appearance of nodes in the thyroid after treatment, but they do not cause any damage to the organ, so their removal is not required.
In case of overflow of the disease into a chronic form, the probability of a positive outcome of treatment is much less. More often there is a gradual decrease in the level of hormones produced by the thyroid gland, which requires the use of special medications.
Directions of treatment
Acute or subacute thyroiditis, the symptoms of which have been described previously, is curable. In the first case, antibiotics are actively used to treat the inflammation focus. Also vitamins of group C( increasing immunity and contributing to the fight of the organism with pathogens) and group B( necessary for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland) are also actively used. In case of breakthrough of the abscess, surgical methods of treatment can be used.
For the treatment of subacute form of the disease until recently, medical and surgical methods were used. However, recently the use of a laser has become more popular. The laser heating of the formed nodes contributes to their resorption, which allows to completely eliminate the consequences of the disease and restore the normal functioning of the gland. In addition, this method of treatment allows you to direct the laser to a specific place, which contributes to more accurate achievement of the therapeutic effect.
The chronic form of the disease is treated, mainly, with the help of hormonal drugs. In some cases, the use of a laser is recommended, however, this depends on the individual characteristics of the patient's body.
Thus, the main thing that should be remembered in order to avoid negative consequences for the thyroid gland is the need for timely access to a doctor. If this is not done, serious negative consequences are possible, up to lifelong reception of hormonal preparations. With the timely detection of thyroiditis, there is a high probability of its cure. For this, there are quite a lot of modern medicines and technologies for treating the disease, including the use of a laser.
