Before diving into all you need to know about Goiter, let’s first know that this is health related and can happen to anyone.
Goiter is quite common, affecting over 200 million people worldwide, and negatively impacting their quality of life.
Therefore, have you ever wondered why the thyroid gland gets as enlarged as this along the throat line?
Well, let’s take a look at why it does, it’s causes, symptoms and all you need to know about Goiter.
What is Goiter?
Goiter happens when your thyroid gland grows larger. Your entire thyroid can grow larger or it can develop one or more small lumps called Thyroid nodules.
A thyroid nodule is an unusual lump (growth) of cells on your thyroid gland.
They’re common, almost always noncancerous (benign) and usually don’t cause symptoms. In rare cases, they’re cancerous.
Goiter is an adaptive reaction of the cells in your thyroid to any process that blocks thyroid hormone production.
However, Goiter therefore has several possible causes and may or may not be associated with abnormal thyroid hormone levels.
This cancer may be associated with an irregular amount of thyroid hormone in your body.
Classifications Of Goiter
There are various classification of Goiter. Let’s look at its classification based on thyroid hormones level.
1. Toxic Goiter
This goiter happens when your thyroid is enlarged and produces too much thyroid hormone.
Due to its excess production of thyroid hormone, it is therefore called a Toxic Goiter.
2. Nontoxic Goiter
If you have an enlarged thyroid but normal thyroid levels (euthyroid), it’s a nontoxic goiter.
In other words, you don’t have hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) or hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and the thyroid hormones is not excess in the body.
What Causes Goiter?
The most common cause of goiter is iodine deficiency.
This deficiency affects an estimated 2.2 billion people worldwide.
It occurs when 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.
Iodine is an essential nutrient used to produce thyroid hormones, and it must be gotten externally.
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.
Other causes include;
– Hyperthyroidism; Over active thyroid
– Hypothyroidism; Under active thyroid
– Thyroid nodules; Lumps in the thyroid
– Thyroid cancer
– Pregnancy
– Some medications and environmental factors.
Symptoms Of Goiter
The size of a goiter can range from very small and barely noticeable to very large.
Most goiters are painless, but if you have thyroiditis (an inflamed thyroid gland), it can be painful.
Furthermore, these are the major symptoms of Goiter you should look out for. They include;
- Visible swelling in the neck area
- Feeling of tightness in your throat
- Weight loss or weight gain
- Rapid heartbeat or extreme tiredness
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing
- Hoarseness of voice
- Swelling of the neck vein
Who does Goiter Affect?
Anyone can have a goiter, although women are four times more likely to develop it, compared to men.
It’s about four times more likely to develop in people assigned female at birth compared to people assigned male at birth.
Your risk of developing goiter also increases as you age. They’re more common after age 40.
It’s also common in people who are;
- Obese
- Insulin resistant
- Have metabolic syndrome
Moreover, you’re also at greater risk for developing goiter if your head and neck have been exposed to radiation for medical treatments and/or if you have a family history of thyroid disease.
How is Goiter Diagnosed?
Goiter can be diagnosed by a doctor using physical examination to assess size and consistency.
Your healthcare provider usually diagnoses goiter when they perform a physical examination and feel that you have an enlarged thyroid.
Then, the presence of a goiter indicates that there’s an issue with your thyroid gland.
They’ll need to figure out what the issue is.
Other tests that can be carried out include:
- Thyroid function tests
- Ultrasound imaging
- Biopsy
- Test for iodine levels
Can Goiter be Treated?
Yes, goiter can be treated. Sometimes they go away on their own, and watchful waiting is recommended especially for smaller ones.
A simple goiter may happen for only a short time and may go away on its own without treatment.
Many goiters, such as multinodular goiter, are associated with normal levels of thyroid hormone.
These goiters usually don’t require any specific treatment after your healthcare provider has diagnosed it.
Although, you may be at risk of developing hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism in the future.
If the goiter is small and isn’t bothering you, your healthcare provider may decide that it doesn’t need to be treated.
Therefore, they’ll carefully monitor your thyroid for any changes.
Additionally, large goiters can be treated with;
– Medications
– Radioactive iodine therapy
– Surgery in severe cases
Yes! You may need surgery if the goiter is large and causes problems with breathing and swallowing.
Surgery is also sometimes used to remove nodules. Surgery must be done if cancer is present.
Thus, depending on the amount of thyroid gland removed, you may need to take thyroid hormone replacement therapy for the rest of your life.
Also note that, Iodine supplementation is also important for those with iodine deficient goiters.
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How Do You Prevent It?
You can prevent goiter by taking sufficient iodine diet foods daily.
Consuming a diet that includes iodine such as fish, dairy and a healthy amount of iodized table salt prevents these types of goiters.
Iodine supplements and other supplements are generally not recommended and may do more harm than good.
Sources of iodine include;
1. Sea food
2. Egg yolks
3. Milk and yogurt
4. Iodized salt
5. Potatoes
6. Spinach
Other ways of prevention include;
- Avoiding excess raw vegetables like cabbage and broccoli
- Going for regular thyroid screenings
When You Should See A Doctor
Meet with a doctor if you notice symptoms like swelling and inflammation or experience persistent pain while swallowing.
Regardless of the cause, it’s important to see your healthcare provider regularly (at least annually) if you’ve been diagnosed with goiter so they can monitor it.
Moving Forward
Finally, Having read and understood what Goiter means, it’s symptoms, causes and all you need to know about Goiter.
Have you ever noticed swelling in your neck? Or have noticed any of the symptoms written in this article above?
If yes, then it is advisable to meet up with your Doctor or a Healthcare Provider for treatment.
Remember, Health is Wealth!!!