Beware of atypical hyperthyroidism

  As we all know, typical symptoms of hyperthyroidism include enlarged neck, protruding eyes, excessive food and hunger, thinning and sweating. Most of these symptoms are not difficult to diagnose with timely hospital visits and relevant T3 and T4 measurements. However, 20% of patients with hyperthyroidism have atypical symptoms and may be misdiagnosed as other diseases, which may lead to delayed treatment.  The “indifferent” type of hyperthyroidism is usually emotional and talkative in patients with hyperthyroidism. However, some patients, especially the elderly, have symptoms such as apathy, lethargy, fatigue, unresponsiveness, anorexia, and weight loss, which are often mistaken for aging or tumors. Patients often have a cold expression, lethargy, depression, and even mental confusion throughout the day. They often have hand tremors, which are often confused with senile tremors.  ”Some patients may have neuropsychiatric symptoms as the prominent manifestation. Some patients may have neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as hypersensitivity, inattention, irritability, restlessness, insomnia, and even mania and hallucinations. These patients are often misdiagnosed as “pediatric ADHD”, “neurosis” and “menopausal syndrome”.  ”Some patients with hyperthyroidism have diarrhea as a prominent manifestation, with thin or watery stools several times a day without pus and blood. This type of patient is often misdiagnosed as chronic enteritis, dysentery, gastrointestinal tumor, or neurological vomiting. Any patient who has increased appetite and wasting, normal stool microscopy, or unexplained loss of appetite, nausea, or vomiting, especially in elderly patients, should be investigated for other manifestations of hyperthyroidism.  Most of the hyperthyroidism with “myopathy” has a slow onset, manifesting as difficulty in standing, standing in a squatting position, walking, climbing stairs and lifting objects, etc. Some male patients may experience sudden weakness of both lower limbs and a significant decrease in blood potassium when they go to the hospital. Three to five percent of patients with hyperthyroidism also have myasthenia gravis, which is characterized by abnormal fatigue and weakness of muscles throughout the body. The earliest effects are on the eye muscles, with drooping eyelids and diplopia. Later, it gradually causes difficulty in swallowing, choking and coughing when eating, slurred speech with nasal sound, and weakness in chewing.  The “pruritic” type of hyperthyroidism has itchy or even itchy skin all over the body, so the patient repeatedly visits the dermatologist. Because of the rash and scratching marks, sometimes they are confused by the appearance, but in the end, they are still treating the symptoms but not the cause. After taking some anti-allergy medication, the rash improves slightly, but once the medication is stopped, the symptoms will return.  ”Most of the patients show scanty menstruation, prolonged cycles, reduced menstrual flow, or even amenorrhea. Some patients even consult gynecologists for a long time and misdiagnose it as menstrual disorders caused by puberty or nervousness, and use menstrual regulation or even artificial menstruation treatment, but the effect is poor. At the same time, this group of women is not easy to conceive. After anti-hyperthyroidism treatment, they are mostly able to resume normal menstruation and ovulation.  ”Some of them may even develop baldness. Combing with endocrine hormone imbalance, poor sleep at night, mental tension and autoimmune factors, hair loss often lasts for a long time, but can be cured after anti-hyperthyroidism treatment.