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Pain in Adam’s apple can be a symptom of many diseases, the most popular of which is thyroiditis. This is an inflammatory process that occurs in the thyroid gland and affects the condition of the entire body. For what other reasons does pain in the Adam’s apple occur?
Types of pain in the Adam’s apple
The Adam’s apple is a protrusion that can be seen on the neck of men, which is formed by the plates of cartilage of the thyroid gland. These plates converge at an angle, so the Adam’s apple protrudes on the front surface of the neck.
Subacute thyroiditis
Subacute thyroiditis is swelling (inflammation) of the thyroid gland that usually accompanies upper respiratory tract infections.
Causes
Subacute thyroiditis is quite rare. It is believed that it may be caused by a viral infection. This condition often occurs after a viral upper respiratory tract infection such as mumps and influenza.
Subacute thyroiditis occurs most often in middle-aged women with symptoms of a viral respiratory tract infection.
Symptoms
The most obvious symptom of subacute thyroiditis is pain in the Adam’s apple. Sometimes the pain may radiate (refer) to the jaw or ears. A painful enlargement of the thyroid gland may last for weeks or months.
Other symptoms of thyroiditis include:
- Difficulty swallowing
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Hoarseness
- Sensitivity in the Adam’s apple upon palpation
- Weakness
Hyperthyroidism
Symptoms of another thyroid disease, hyperthyroidism, when too much thyroid hormone is produced:
- Diarrhea
- Heat intolerance
- Nervousness
- Palpitation
- Sweating
- Tremor
- weight loss
Gipotireoz
Even with pain in the Adam’s apple, hypothyroidism of the thyroid gland can be a concern. Its symptoms:
- cold intolerance
- Constipation
- Fatigue
Thyroid function usually returns to normal. But in some cases, hypothyroidism can be permanent.
Laboratory Tests
Laboratory tests in the early stages of the disease may show:
- Low thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels
- High serum T4 levels (thyroid hormone, thyroxine)
- High serum thyroglobulin level
- High erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
- Laboratory tests may show:
- High serum TSH level
- Low free T4 levels
Treatment
The goal of treatment is to reduce pain and inflammation and treat hyperthyroidism. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen are used to control pain in mild cases.
In more severe cases, temporary treatment with steroids (such as prednisone) may be necessary to control the inflammation. Symptoms of an overactive thyroid gland are treated with a class of medications called beta blockers (eg, propranolol, atenolol).
If you have pain in your Adam’s apple
Pain in the Adam’s apple is a specific symptom that needs to be given maximum attention through a thorough diagnosis. Taking care of your health is very important to prevent the development of serious diseases. An endocrinologist and therapist will help you with this.
Prospects for recovery from pain in the Adam’s apple
The condition of dysfunction of the thyroid gland with pain in the Adam’s apple should improve on its own. However, the illness may continue for a month. Serious complications usually do not occur.
- Possible complications
- Permanent hypothyroidism
- Subacute thyroiditis may recur after treatment
- Pain in the Adam’s apple may be a symptom of cervical osteochondrosis
For osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
…compression of blood vessels and nerve formations may be observed. The neck area contains many blood vessels and nerves, including the vertebral artery, which runs into the spinal canal. Therefore, if a person is diagnosed with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine due to dislocation of the vertebrae, neural formations on the lateral parts of the vertebrae can cause irritation of the muscles and ligaments.
And if this is accompanied by a protrusion or herniation of a disc directed into the spinal canal (a few millimeters of a hernia is a large hernia of the cervical spine), its membrane is injured and this causes swelling. Given the narrowness of the neck of the spinal canal, the edematous root fills the entire space of the canal, and this causes compression of this root. Venous congestion and inflammation of the spine occurs.
When the vertebral artery becomes compressed due to narrowing of the vertebral artery (stenosis), the blood supply to the brain stem and cerebellum is reduced. As a result, cervical osteochondrosis is complemented by constant ischemia of the brain and spinal cord. An acute disruption of blood flow in this area is called a spinal stroke.
Pain in the Adam’s apple can also occur due to compression, bruises, or fractures of the cartilage of the larynx
Characteristic symptoms of this condition are pain when swallowing, pain in the Adam’s apple, pain when coughing, difficulty breathing. As soon as a person touches the skin in the Adam’s apple area, it hurts. On palpation, you may feel a crunch of cartilage that is broken. A person in this condition may be at risk of heavy breathing such as asthmatic breathing, swelling of the larynx, as well as emphysema.
Phlegmon of the thyroid cartilages in the larynx area
With this disease, a person has a high temperature, fever, difficulty breathing, severe pain in the Adam’s apple, especially during swallowing, and sometimes aphonia occurs (loss of voice, transition to a whisper).
Inflammation can last a long time, causing chondroperichondritis of the larynx. In this condition, the laryngeal cartilages become inflamed, pus forms on them, as well as fistulas.
Tuberculosis of the thyroid cartilages in the larynx area
This disease is very often a continuation of pulmonary tuberculosis, or rather, a complication. The patient may complain that his throat is sore, he feels severe pain in the Adam’s apple area, and his voice becomes hoarse. All these symptoms depend on how far the thyroid disease has progressed. In this case, additional examinations are necessary. For example, sputum examination, test results for microbacteria tubercle bacilli. If the doctor suspects laryngeal tuberculosis, the patient should be admitted to the hospital and the necessary tests should be carried out. An otolaryngologist or TB specialist can help with this.