Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, and unexplained weight loss. Symptoms may also include increased hunger, feeling tired, and sores that do not heal. Often symptoms come on slowly. Long-term complications from high blood sugar include heart disease, strokes, diabetic retinopathy which can result in blindness, kidney failure, and poor blood flow in the limbs which may lead to amputations. The sudden onset of hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state may occur; however, ketoacidosis is uncommon.Type 2 diabetes primarily occurs as a result of obesity and lack of exercise. Some people are genetically more at risk than others.Type 2 diabetes makes up about 90% of cases of diabetes, with the other 10% due primarily to type 1 diabetes and gestational diabetes. In type 1 diabetes there is a lower total level of insulin to control blood glucose, due to an autoimmune induced loss of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Diagnosis of diabetes is by blood tests such as fasting plasma glucose, oral glucose tolerance test, or glycated hemoglobin (A1C).Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable by staying a normal weight, exercising regularly, and eating a healthy diet (high in fruits and vegetables and low in sugar and saturated fats). Treatment involves exercise and dietary changes. If blood sugar levels are not adequately lowered, the medication metformin is typically recommended. Many people may eventually also require insulin injections.
This leads to symptoms and biochemistry of an overactive thyroid (feels hot, trembly, anxious, loses weight, fast heart rate, sweaty, greasy hair), with raised free T3 and free T4, and a suppressed thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) value. The damaged cells will no longer be able to take up iodine in order to manufacture further supplies of thyroid hormone, and thus in due course the patient comes to experience the symptoms of an underactive thyroid (feels cold, tired, depressed, gains weight, dry skin and hair) with low free T3 and free T4, and eventually increased TSH. Diagnosis
With the standard overactive thyroid, iodine uptake into the thyroid is avid, whereas if the cells are damaged, then uptake is poor. In this way, if there is doubt about whether the patient has too much thyroid hormone because of de Quervains thyroiditis, then measuring radio-iodine uptake or technetium uptake gives a clear cut answer as it will be higher than normal in standard thyrotoxicosis and lower than normal in de Quervains. Treatment
Treatment is beta blockers, aspirin, and NSAIDs (or corticosteroids if NSAIDs are ineffective). Eponym
It is named for Fritz de Quervain. It should not be confused with De Quervain syndrome. Terminology
It is sometimes called subacute thyroiditis, but there are other forms of subacute thyroiditis, subacute lymphocytic thyroiditis, postpartum thyroiditis, and autoimmune thyroiditis all of which, in contrast to de Quervains, are typically painless or "silent". It is also sometimes called "painful subacute thyroiditis". This is in contrast to subacute lymphocytic thyroiditis, which is also sometimes called "painless thyroiditis".