Goiter: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

Goiter: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment Goiter is a condition in which the thyroid gland grows larger. The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck, below the Adam's apple.
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The thyroid gland produces the hormones thyroxine (also called T4) and triiodothyronine (also Goiters have different causes, depending on their type. Simple goiters develop when the thyroid gland does not make enough hormones to meet the body's needs. The thyroid gland tries to make up for this shortage by growing larger. Endemic goiters occur in people in certain parts of the world who do not get enough iodine in their diet (iodine is necessary to make thyroid hormone). For instance, a lack of iodine in the diet is still a common problem in parts of central Asia and central Africa. Because iodine is added to table salt in the United States and other countries, this type of goiter usually does not occur in these countries. Sporadic goiters, in most cases, have no known cause. In some cases, certain drugs can cause this type of goiter. For example, the drug lithium, which is used to treat certain mental health conditions, as well as other medical conditions, can cause this type of goiter. Other risk factors for goiter include the following:

Hereditary (inherited from family)
Female gender
Age over 40
Other diseases and conditions can also cause a goiter. These include:

Graves' disease. Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease (your body's immune system mistakenly attacks your healthy body). In this case, the immune system attacks the thyroid gland and the thyroid grows larger. Hashimoto's disease. This is another autoimmune disease. In this case, the disease causes inflammation (swelling) of the thyroid gland. This causes it to produce fewer thyroid hormones, resulting in a goiter. This type of goiter usually gets better on its own over time. Nodular goiter. In this condition, growths called nodules occur on one or both sides of the thyroid gland, causing it to grow larger. Thyroid cancer. Cancer of the thyroid gland often enlarges the thyroid. Pregnancy. Human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone that a woman produces during pregnancy, can cause the thyroid to grow. Thyroiditis. Inflammation of the thyroid gland itself can cause the thyroid gland to grow. This can happen after the person has an illness caused by a virus, or after a woman gives birth. Exposure to radiation. A person who has had medical radiation treatments to the head and neck (but not diagnostic procedures, such as a CT scan) has a greater risk of developing goiter.

What is Hashimoto's thyroiditis?Thyroiditis is when your thyroid gland becomes irritated. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the...
05/11/2022

What is Hashimoto's thyroiditis?
Thyroiditis is when your thyroid gland becomes irritated. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common type of this health problem. It is an autoimmune disease. It occurs when your body makes antibodies that attack the cells in your thyroid. The thyroid then can't make enough of the thyroid hormone. Many people with this problem have an underactive thyroid gland. That's also known as hypothyroidism. They have to take medicine to keep their thyroid hormone levels normal.

What causes thyroid nodules?Researchers don’t know why most thyroid nodules form. Nodules can form for various reasons, ...
05/11/2022

What causes thyroid nodules?
Researchers don’t know why most thyroid nodules form. Nodules can form for various reasons, and there are different types, including:

Colloid nodules: These are one or more overgrowths of normal thyroid tissue. These growths are not cancer (benign). They may grow large, but they don’t spread beyond your thyroid gland. These are the most common type of thyroid nodules.
Thyroid cysts: These are growths that are filled with fluid or are partly solid and partly filled with fluid. Cystic nodules pose a low risk for cancer (malignancy) and are either monitored or biopsied if they’re larger than 2 centimeters.
Inflammatory nodules: These nodules develop as a result of long-term (chronic) swelling (inflammation) of your thyroid gland. These growths may or may not cause pain.
Multinodular goiter: Sometimes an enlarged thyroid (goiter) is made up of many nodules (which are usually benign).
Hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules: These nodules produce extra thyroid hormone, which may lead to the development of hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism requires treatment.
Thyroid cancer: Cancer is the biggest concern when thyroid nodules form. Fortunately, thyroid cancer is very rare — it’s found in less than 6.5% of all thyroid nodules.

05/11/2022

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland about two inches long located in the base of your neck. This gland plays a huge role in your body, as it’s responsible for releasing hormones that control metabolism — the way your body uses energy. Hormones secreted by the thyroid regulate a host of body functions including your heart rate, breathing, body temperature, nervous system function, and much more.
When something is amiss with your thyroid, it can throw virtually every body system (not to mention your mood) out of whack. Thankfully, nodules on your thyroid are often harmless, causing no change in how the gland functions. When they do cause problems, effective treatments are available.

04/11/2022

In this disease, there is increase in the size of the gland i.e. enlargement of thyroid gland which results in swelling in neck region. For proper functionality of Thyroid Gland, Iodine is important but due to deficiency of Iodine, following symptoms are observed in the body.
Repeated bouts of cough, difficulty in deglutition i.e. difficulty in swallowing, hardness in thyroid gland.

04/11/2022

THYROID CANCER
What is 'Thyroid Cancer'? It is a cancer the affects the thyroid organ in the neck. There are four main types of Thyroid Cancer: Papillary, Follicular, Anaplastic and Medullary. If this is not the cancer type you're looking for, please explore the information about other types of Head and Neck Cancers.

04/11/2022

What causes goiter?
Goiter is an adaptive reaction of the cells in your thyroid to any process that blocks thyroid hormone production. While the most common cause of goiter worldwide is iodine deficiency, many conditions can cause it.
Causes of goiter include:
Iodine deficiency: Your thyroid needs iodine to produce thyroid hormone. If you don’t get enough iodine in your diet, your thyroid makes more cells (and grows) to try to make more thyroid hormone. While this is the most common cause of goiter worldwide, it’s not common in the United States. You can get the recommended amount of iodine in your diet by including seafood, dairy products and iodized salt in your diet. Supplementation with iodine is not recommended for most people and may have unintended negative effects on your health.
Graves' disease: Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks your thyroid, causing it to grow larger. Graves’ disease also causes hyperthyroidism, which requires treatment.
Hashimoto's disease: This is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of your thyroid gland. Some people with Hashimoto's disease develop a compensatory increase in the thyroid gland's size. This type of goiter usually gets better on its own over time. Some cases of Hashimoto’s disease require treatment with thyroid hormone.
Thyroid cancer: Cancer of the thyroid gland often enlarges your thyroid.
Pregnancy: Human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone that a person produces during pregnancy, can cause their thyroid to grow.
Thyroiditis: Inflammation of the thyroid gland itself can cause your thyroid gland to grow. This can happen for several reasons.
Sporadic goiters, in most cases, have no known cause. In some cases, certain drugs can cause this type of goiter. For example, the drug lithium, which is used to treat certain mental health conditions, as well as other medical conditions, can cause this type of goiter.

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