The key difference between thyrotoxicosis and hyperthyroidism is that thyrotoxicosis refers to an excessive amount of circulating thyroid hormones from any source, while hyperthyroidism refers to an inappropriately elevated thyroid gland function.
The thyroid gland creates and produces hormones that play a pivotal role in many different body systems. When the thyroid gland makes either too much or too little of these hormones, it is known as thyroid disease. There are several types of thyroid diseases, including thyrotoxicosis, hyperthyroidism, thyroiditis, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Thyrotoxicosis
3. What is Hyperthyroidism
4. Similarities – Thyrotoxicosis and Hyperthyroidism
5. Thyrotoxicosis vs Hyperthyroidism in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Thyrotoxicosis vs Hyperthyroidism
What is Thyrotoxicosis?
Thyrotoxicosis is a medical condition in which there is too much thyroid hormone in the body. It produces and releases two hormones: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Together, these hormones are referred to as thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones play a large role in many important bodily functions like body temperature, heart rate, and metabolism. The causes of thyrotoxicosis may include hyperthyroidism, thyroid inflammation (thyroiditis), excess thyroid medications, and consuming thyroid hormones. The symptoms of thyrotoxicosis include experiencing unexplained weight loss, arrhythmia, tachycardia, experiencing muscle weakness, feeling shaky, feeling nervous, anxiety, irritability, experiencing increased sensitivity to heat, experiencing changes in menstruation, having a high fever, feeling very agitated and confused, having diarrhoea and feeling sick, and experiencing loss of consciousness.
Figure 01: Thyrotoxicosis
Thyrotoxicosis can be diagnosed through physical examination, blood tests (checking for high levels of thyroid hormones), and imaging testing (radioactive iodine uptake test, thyroid scan, and thyroid ultrasound). Furthermore, the treatment options for thyrotoxicosis include anti-thyroid drugs (methimazole (Tapazole) and propylthiouracil (PTU), radioactive iodine, surgery (thyroidectomy), beta-blockers, and glucocorticoids.
What is Hyperthyroidism?
Hyperthyroidism refers to an inappropriately elevated thyroid gland function. Hyperthyroidism usually occurs due to an overactive thyroid gland and producing too much thyroxine hormone. It can accelerate the body’s metabolism. The symptoms of hyperthyroidism may include unintentional weight loss, tachycardia, arrhythmia, heart palpitation, increased appetite, nervousness, anxiety and irritability, tremor, sweating, changes in menstrual patterns, an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), increased sensitivity to heat, changes in bowel patterns (especially more frequent bowel movements), fatigue, muscle weakness, difficulty sleeping, skin thinning, and fine, brittle hair. The causes of hyperthyroidism are Graves’ disease, hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules (toxic adenoma, toxic multinodular goiter or Plummer’s disease), and thyroiditis.
Figure 02: Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, blood test for thyroxine and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), radioiodine uptake test, thyroid scan, and thyroid ultrasound. Furthermore, the treatment options for hyperthyroidism include radioactive iodine, anti-thyroid medications, beta-blockers, surgery (thyroidectomy, orbital decompression surgery, eye muscle surgery), and lifestyle and home remedies (limiting iodine uptake, regular exercises, and learning relaxation techniques).
What are the Similarities Between Thyrotoxicosis and Hyperthyroidism?
- Thyrotoxicosis and hyperthyroidism are two medical conditions associated with the thyroid gland and its function.
- In both medical conditions, thyroid hormone levels increase.
- Hyperthyroidism is a cause of thyrotoxicosis.
- Both medical conditions may have similar symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss, arrhythmia, tachycardia, etc.
- Both medical conditions may be diagnosed through blood testing and imaging testing.
What is the Difference Between Thyrotoxicosis and Hyperthyroidism?
Thyrotoxicosis refers to an excessive amount of circulating thyroid hormones from any source, while hyperthyroidism refers to an inappropriately elevated thyroid gland function. Thus, this is the key difference between thyrotoxicosis and hyperthyroidism. Furthermore, thyrotoxicosis is caused by hyperthyroidism, thyroid inflammation (thyroiditis), excess thyroid medications, and consuming thyroid hormones. On the other hand, hyperthyroidism is caused by Graves’ disease, hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules (toxic adenoma, toxic multinodular goiter, or Plummer’s disease), and thyroiditis.
The below infographic presents the differences between thyrotoxicosis and hyperthyroidism in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Thyrotoxicosis vs Hyperthyroidism
The thyroid gland creates and produces hormones that play a pivotal role in the human body. Thyrotoxicosis and hyperthyroidism are two medical conditions associated with the thyroid gland and its function. Thyrotoxicosis refers to an excessive amount of circulating thyroid hormones in the body, while hyperthyroidism refers to an inappropriately elevated thyroid gland function. So, this summarizes the difference between thyrotoxicosis and hyperthyroidism.
Reference:
1. “Hyperthyroidism (Overactive Thyroid).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
2. “Thyrotoxicosis: Signs, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Causes of hyperthyroidism” By Mikael Häggström – Own work (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Thyroid hormone and basal metabolic rate” By Alan Sved – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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