What Happens With an Enlarged Thyroid?
- The thyroid regulates, makes and stores hormones that help maintain the heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and metabolism. The hormones produced are essential for human health as they help cell function. The thyroid gland is in the lower part of the neck below the Adam's apple. A doctor may have you swallow water to determine whether the thyroid is enlarged. If your physician thinks the thyroid gland is enlarged, an ultrasound and lab work will probably be ordered to determine its size and the possible cause of the enlargement.
- The majority of thyroids that are enlarged are benign, however, it is important for your physician to discover the cause. There are a number of possible causes, including benign thyroid disease, iodine deficiency or even an overactive thyroid.
An enlarged thyroid may occur because the gland tries to maintain hormone production at normal levels. Sometimes, this can cause inflammation or Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Nodules or thyroid cancer can sometimes cause an enlarged thyroid gland. However, an enlarged thyroid is not always related to such symptoms and may be caused by a viral illness. - If you have an enlarged thyroid, you might have such symptoms as difficulty in breathing, pain in the neck, voice changes or difficulty swallowing. If the thyroid becomes visibly larger, it is important to contact your physician for further testing and treatment. A very large thyroid gland, also called a goiter, sometimes compresses the airway. Diagnostic tests such as x-rays, MRI or CT scan and ultrasounds may be conducted in order to determine the best course of treatment. For a large goiter, it may be suggested that you undergo radioactive iodine treatment in order to reduce the size of the goiter. The treatment which will be recommended is related to why the thyroid gland is enlarged.
The Thyroid
Causes of an Enlarged Thyroid
Symptoms and Diagnostic Tests for an Enlarged Thyroid
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