Thyroiditis - Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which doctor should I consult for Thyroiditis?

You can consult a general physician or an Endocrinologist

2. I have heard that Hashimoto's is a genetic disease. Is it true?

It is a condition that affects function of the thyroid gland. Hashimoto's disease results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors, some of which are identified and yet many remain unknown.


3. What is the cause of a thyroid infection?

• Post-partum thyroiditis: This is an autoimmune condition and only happens in women who have had a recent delivery.
• Silent thyroiditis: It is painless in nature and usually controlled by giving hormone replacement therapy.
• De Quervain's thyroiditis: This condition, also known as sub acute thyroiditis, is a painful swelling of the thyroid gland and is thought to be provoked by viral infection, like mumps or flu.
• Hashimoto's thyroiditis: The cause is not known, but happens to run in families thereby indicating genes to be solely responsible for this.
• Acute or infectious thyroiditis: It is caused by bacterial infection.
• Drug-induced thyroiditis: Thyroiditis may be due to medicines like interferon, lithium, amiodarone and class of drugs known for treating cancers (like sunitinib)
• Radiation-induced thyroiditis: This is usually caused by radioactive iodine treatment for treating an overactive thyroid or radiotherapy used for treating certain cancers. It can cause destruction of thyroid gland, leading to symptoms of overactive thyroid or underactive thyroid.

4. What do you mean by low thyroid or hypothyroid?

Hypothyroid is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone. Symptoms of hypothyroidism are fatigue, weakness, weight gain or difficulty in losing weight, hair loss, dry skin, intolerance to cold, muscle cramps or frequent muscle aches, abnormal menstrual cycles, irritability, depression, memory loss and depression, reduced libido; however symptoms may vary among individuals.

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