Thyroiditis represents a group of conditions that cause inflammation of your thyroid gland. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common type. Some cases of thyroiditis are temporary and others cause permanent hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). It’s treatable.
What is thyroiditis?
Thyroiditis is inflammation of your thyroid gland. Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the front of your neck under your skin. It’s a part of your endocrine system and controls many of your body’s important functions by producing and releasing certain hormones.
Thyroiditis includes a group of individual conditions that cause thyroid inflammation but have different causes and symptoms. Thyroiditis can lead to over- or under-production of thyroid hormone.
In most types of thyroiditis, there are three phases, including:
- Thyrotoxic phase: During this phase, your thyroid is inflamed and releases too many hormones, causing temporary thyrotoxicosis.
- Hypothyroid phase: Following the excessive release of thyroid hormones for a few weeks or months, your thyroid won’t have enough thyroid hormones to release. This leads to a lack of thyroid hormones or hypothyroidism. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and radiation-induced thyroiditis usually permanently stay in the hypothyroid phase.
- Euthyroid phase: During the euthyroid phase, your thyroid hormone levels are normal. This phase may come temporarily after the thyrotoxic phase before going to the hypothyroid phase, or it may come at the end after your thyroid gland has recovered from the inflammation and can maintain a normal hormone level.
