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Is Shortness Of Breath Caused By Thyroid Nodules?
I am hypothyroid, recently switched, at the advice of my internist, from armour thyroid to levothyroxine three weeks ago. I moved at about the same time, and construction started on a large project (Kauai) that produced lots and lots of dust. I have mitral valve prolapse, but have had shortness of breath since they started digging 6' deep postholes into old lava rock and red dirt. I thought at first, it might be because I was not used to stairs, and now I have them. My internist treated me with an inhaler and decongestant. I did not get better, actually got worse. My cardiologist recommended a 3-D echo sonogram to rule out blood regurgitation to my lungs. I googled, and found shortness of breath can be cause by thyroid nodules. My sister has Hashimoto's and had her thyroid removed. I am seeing a pulmonologist soon. Is it possible, since I am on a "starter dose" (75mcg) of thyroxine, that my shortness of breath is caused by throid nodules? Thank you
Fri, 9 Feb 2018
Hello! Welcome to HealthcareMagic!
Thyroid nodules by themselves do not cause shortness of breath. The nodules are located in the thyroid gland and do not affect the lungs. The only types of nodules that can cause shortness of breath are either cancerous nodules or hormone producing nodules. Cancerous nodules can produce shortness of breath either by invading the nerves in the neck that control your larynx (voice box) and this would lead to hoarseness of your voice and difficulty breathing. The other mechanism that cancerous nodules can cause shortness of breath is by spread (metastasis) to the lungs, meaning cancer cells reach the lungs by the bloodstream and create new nodules in the lungs. A CT of the neck can assess if there is invasion of the thyroid nodules in the neck, and an x-ray of the chest can assess if there are any in the lungs. Hormone producing nodules can create excess thyroid hormones that stress the heart, and this can lead to shortness of breath.
However, keep in mind that these above scenarios are uncommon. A benign thyroid nodule generally does not cause any problems with breathing.
I hope this clarifies your concerns. Thank you for the query.
Take care
Regards,
Dr. Rimoun Hakim, Internal Medicine Specialist
Thyroid nodules by themselves do not cause shortness of breath. The nodules are located in the thyroid gland and do not affect the lungs. The only types of nodules that can cause shortness of breath are either cancerous nodules or hormone producing nodules. Cancerous nodules can produce shortness of breath either by invading the nerves in the neck that control your larynx (voice box) and this would lead to hoarseness of your voice and difficulty breathing. The other mechanism that cancerous nodules can cause shortness of breath is by spread (metastasis) to the lungs, meaning cancer cells reach the lungs by the bloodstream and create new nodules in the lungs. A CT of the neck can assess if there is invasion of the thyroid nodules in the neck, and an x-ray of the chest can assess if there are any in the lungs. Hormone producing nodules can create excess thyroid hormones that stress the heart, and this can lead to shortness of breath.
However, keep in mind that these above scenarios are uncommon. A benign thyroid nodule generally does not cause any problems with breathing.
I hope this clarifies your concerns. Thank you for the query.
Take care
Regards,
Dr. Rimoun Hakim, Internal Medicine Specialist
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