Thyroid Nodules And Lumps
What Is Thyroid Nodules?
A visible enlargement of the thyroid gland is called Goitre. There are several causes of goitre and they can affect the thyroid in different ways. The entire gland may be involved or there may be single or multiple nodules or lumps. Patients with Hypothyroidism or Hyperthyroidism can have goitre but most goitres produce a normal amount of thyroxine and there is no increased or decreased activity.
Goitres can become very large and cause pressure on the windpipe and swallowing tube . This can result in shortness of breath, voice change, cough, increased pressure sensation in the neck and sometimes difficulty swallowing.
Thyroid gland may swell uniformly and entirely which could make the thyroid gland larger than normal. The thyroid feels smooth, but large. A number of causes could make this type of enlargement.
A Simple Goitre can be a result of Iodine deficiency. The thyroid gland needs iodine to make thyroxine and T3. If our diet lacks iodine the thyroid swells as it tries to make enough thyroxine and T3. In such areas, this can be combated by the addition of small amounts of iodine to table salt in form of iodized salt. Seafood is also a well known source of iodine. Iodine deficiency is more common in mountainous regions of the world where food is grown in soil poor in iodine.
Grave's disease, an auto-immune disease which causes the thyroid to swell and make too much thyroxine. Grave’s Disease is the most common cause for hyperthyroidism. This disease is an auto immune disease in which the body's immune system attacks its own cells.
The thyroid gland may inflame following a bacterial or viral infection. Painful swelling is common in Viral Thyroiditis
Some people inherit a tendency for a thyroid to swell. In particular, it may swell at times of life when you may make more thyroxine and T3. For example, when you are pregnant, or during puberty.
Drugs with side effects, various other problems with making thyroxine or T3 may cause the thyroid to swell.
A single swelling or lump in the thyroid gland is a special form of goitre. The majority of the nodules are not cancerous. Sometimes simple swellings of fluid may invade the thyroid tissue with no tendency to spread or invade structures. In some patients the nodules are multiple which is medically termed as Multinodular Goitre. The enlargement may give pressure effects to the underlying structures. Adenoma is a non cancerous swelling involving the follicles of the thyroid and cancers are very rare findings.
How To Find?
- An ultrasound scan may be requested to measure the shape of the thyroid and to look for nodules or cysts within the gland.
- Fine needle aspiration Cytology (FNAC), is a needle biopsy, an extremely valuable test for diagnosing thyroid lumps. A small sample of cells or fluid is removed from the thyroid gland by passing a needle through the nodule or cyst in the gland. The aspirate is then examined under the microscope and the type of cells making up the swelling can be seen. The test is usually very accurate.
- Blood tests looking for the function of the gland (FT4, TSH), thyroid antibody levels and thyroglobulin levels are often indicated.
- A thyroid isotope scan. This test measures the rate of function of the gland. It requires an injection into your vein of a tiny dose of a radioactive substance which is uniquely taken up by your thyroid. The isotope emits gamma rays which are detected by a gamma camera. Active nodules show up as “hot” with increased activity whereas “cold” nodules.
How To Treat?
A swelling or growth in neck is alarming and the victims believe surgical removal is the only solution, because they afraid off the growth may lead to malignancy. They and never give the option for medicinal cure The scope in Homoeopathic treatment is much encouraging in many cases the swellings, lumps had disappeared with medicinal treatment.
Clinically the diffuse swellings with hypothyroidism and even the nodular lumps with Hyperthyroidism has responded without surgery. Even though the problems look superficially confined to particular organ alone, it could change the physical and mental make up of a person. Homoeopathy approaches a patient as a whole entity which gives much importance to the study of body and mind with the particular symptom of a patient. Generally in other systems of medicine stop their study at disease level, but we extent our study more to analyses the individuality. Periodical blood screening and signs and symptoms had confirmed the normal functioning of the thyroid gland
About the Author
As a women who has hypothyroidism, I would like to share all of my knowledge to all of you about hypothyroidism and how can you make change of your life.