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Throat Pain While Swallowing Food, Chest Pain. Have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

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Posted on Thu, 4 Oct 2012
Question: Pain in throat from last 2 days while swallowing of food.
Squeezing pain in center of chest
Have hashimotto thyroid.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Madhuri Patil (12 hours later)
Hi there.

Pain in throat while swallowing is most likely due to throat infection and not because of the Hashimoto's thyroiditis as such. Hashimoto's thyroiditis does not really cause acute pain or typical inflammatory symptoms in a person. Very very rare condition like infective thyroiditis is a reason for pain in mainly outside surface of the neck, and very rarely inside the throat unless it is invading huge thyroid lesion. This is all unlikely in your case.
Secondly, when you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), how is your thyroid profile currently? You are supposed to check at least TSH at regular interval to rule out new onset hypothyroidim if your initial diagnosis was HT only with normal thyroid functions. New onset hypothyroidism is also likely to case vague aches and pains and so the throat pain can be one of it. So there are two possibilities:
1. Mostly throat infection- if viral- you need to treat with salt and warm water gargling and taking ample fluids, checking body temperature and taking enough rest. In case the pain increases (as in Bacterial infection) or you develop temperature beyond 100 then show to a good physician or an ENT doctor as there would be a need of antibiotic therapy.
2. Rarely because of new onset hypothyroidism (higher TSH) where body or body parts, in general, retain fluid and swell and cause aches and pains. So while treating yourself with home remedies of sore throat as I described above, please get the following tests done- TSH, FT4, Hb, Total WBC count, Differential count. This will give us idea what is wrong.
Get back to me for further question and if you are not able to understand this.
Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Madhuri Patil (18 hours later)
Thanks doctor of the detailed explanation. This query was from my wife and I have got the T3/T4/TSH done and the results seem to be normal.

T3 : 93.6 ng/dL [ 82-179 ]
T4 : 8.26 ug/dL [ 5.2 -12.5 ]
TSH : 3.67 uIU/mL [0.4 - 5 ]

She does not have fever and water gargle seems to help.

Thanks once again for your reply.
AAA
doctor
Answered by Dr. Madhuri Patil (34 minutes later)
You are welcome.

The results seem normal. Let her take care of her general health. She should be fine very soon.

If you have no further queries, please close the discussion.

Best Regards,

- Dr Madhuri
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
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Answered by
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Dr. Madhuri Patil

Diabetologist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 362 Questions

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Throat Pain While Swallowing Food, Chest Pain. Have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Hi there.

Pain in throat while swallowing is most likely due to throat infection and not because of the Hashimoto's thyroiditis as such. Hashimoto's thyroiditis does not really cause acute pain or typical inflammatory symptoms in a person. Very very rare condition like infective thyroiditis is a reason for pain in mainly outside surface of the neck, and very rarely inside the throat unless it is invading huge thyroid lesion. This is all unlikely in your case.
Secondly, when you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), how is your thyroid profile currently? You are supposed to check at least TSH at regular interval to rule out new onset hypothyroidim if your initial diagnosis was HT only with normal thyroid functions. New onset hypothyroidism is also likely to case vague aches and pains and so the throat pain can be one of it. So there are two possibilities:
1. Mostly throat infection- if viral- you need to treat with salt and warm water gargling and taking ample fluids, checking body temperature and taking enough rest. In case the pain increases (as in Bacterial infection) or you develop temperature beyond 100 then show to a good physician or an ENT doctor as there would be a need of antibiotic therapy.
2. Rarely because of new onset hypothyroidism (higher TSH) where body or body parts, in general, retain fluid and swell and cause aches and pains. So while treating yourself with home remedies of sore throat as I described above, please get the following tests done- TSH, FT4, Hb, Total WBC count, Differential count. This will give us idea what is wrong.
Get back to me for further question and if you are not able to understand this.
Take care.