Content

• Steps
• Warning

A goiter is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, just below the pharynx. A goiter is usually painless, but when it enlarges it can lead to a cough, sore throat, and / or difficulty breathing. There are many causes of a goiter. There are also many types of goiter treatments, depending on the cause and severity of the disease.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Goiter Diagnosis

1. 

   Learn about goiter. To diagnose and treat goiter, you should first learn what goiter is. A goiter is an abnormal, but often benign, growth of the thyroid gland due to normal, increased or impaired thyroid production.
   • Goiter is usually painless, but can cause cough, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, diaphragmatic paralysis, or upper vena cava syndrome (SVC).
   • Goiter treatment depends on the size of the tumor, its symptoms and the reason it forms.

2. 

   
   
   Know the symptoms of a goiter. Be aware of goiter symptoms to determine if you have a goiter. You should see your doctor to diagnose a goiter if you experience the following symptoms:
   • Swelling in the neck, apparent from shaving or makeup.
   • Choking in the throat
   • Cough
   • Hoarseness
   • Difficulty swallowing
   • Shortness of breath

3. 

   
   
   Prepare before going to see your doctor. Since goiter is a confusing disease, with many causes and many different treatments, you should make a list of the following questions:
   • What causes goiter?
   • Is goiter serious or not?
   • How to treat the main cause of goiter?
   • Are there any alternative treatments?
   • Just waiting and watching can a goiter go away on its own?
   • Will the tumor grow bigger and bigger?
   • During treatment, do I have to take medicine? If yes, for how long?

4. 

   
   
   Go to doctor. Your doctor will perform a series of tests to diagnose a goiter. The test depends on your medical history and the cause of the goiter that your doctor suspects.
   • Your doctor may test your hormones to see the amount of hormones secreted by the thyroid and pituitary glands. Too low or too high a hormone level can cause a goiter. Your doctor will take a blood sample from you and send it to a lab.
   • Your doctor may also test for antibodies because abnormal antibodies are also the cause of the goiter. The antibody test is done through a blood test.
   • You may be offered an ultrasound. In the ultrasound method, a device is attached to the neck to hear sound waves from the neck and sound waves images will appear on the computer screen. By ultrasound, your doctor will identify the abnormalities that cause goiter.
   • Your doctor may do a thyroid test. You will be injected with a radioactive isotope into a vein in your elbow, then asked to lie on a table. A picture of the thyroid gland will appear on the computer screen to provide information about the cause of the goiter.
   • A biopsy may also be performed to rule out possible cancer. Your doctor will take thyroid tissue for testing.
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Method 2 of 3: Find treatments

1. 

   Using radioactive iodine to shrink an enlarged thyroid gland. In some cases, radioactive iodine can be used to treat an enlarged thyroid gland.
   • Iodine is an oral drug that enters the thyroid gland through the bloodstream to destroy the thyroid cells. This treatment is very popular in Europe and was used in the 1990s.
   • 90% of patients with goiter have 50-60% reduction in tumor size and volume during 12-18 months of treatment with this method.
   • This treatment can lead to hypothyroidism. However, this problem is very rare and usually only develops within the first two weeks of treatment. If in doubt, you should consult your doctor before attempting this treatment.

2. 

   Use medicine. If you are diagnosed with hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid), your doctor will prescribe medication.
   • Thyroid hormone replacement medications such as Synthroid and Levothroid are often used to treat symptoms of hypothyroidism. It also slows down the hormone secretion of the pituitary gland as a compensatory response by the body to reduce tumor size.
   • If the hormone replacement medicine is not working, you will still need to take it to treat other symptoms. However, your doctor may prescribe aspirin or corticosteroid creams.
   • Patients are generally well tolerated with thyroid replacement hormones, but side effects are possible such as chest pain, increased heart rate, sweating, headache, insomnia, diarrhea, nausea and confusion Menstrual cycle disturbances.

3. 

   Consider surgery. You will likely need surgery to remove a goiter. The doctor will make a 7.5-10 cm cut in the center of the neck, at the top of the thyroid gland, to remove part or all of the thyroid gland. Surgery takes about 4 hours and most patients are able to return home after surgery.
   • If the lump is too large to block your neck and esophagus, causing difficulty breathing and choking at night, you will be offered surgery.
   • Although rare, a goiter can be caused by thyroid cancer. If your doctor suspects you have a malignant tumor, you will be asked to have surgery to remove the tumor.
   • A less common reason for goiter surgery is cosmetic. Sometimes large lumps are simply a cosmetic concern of the patient, so they often require surgery. However, the insurance does not cover cosmetic related surgeries.
   • Thyroid replacement hormone used to treat hypothyroidism will likely need to be used after thyroid removal.
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Method 3 of 3: Home care

1. 

   Watch and wait. If your doctor notices that the thyroid is functioning properly and the tumor is not too large to damage your health, just watch and wait. Since medical treatment can cause side effects and if you don't experience too much irritation, it's better to wait and see if your condition improves. If the tumor gets bigger and bigger and starts to cause problems, you may want to make a different decision.

2. 

   Consume more iodine. The cause of goiter sometimes is a questionable diet. Iodine deficiency leads to goiter formation, so you should include iodine in your diet to reduce the size of the tumor.
   • Each person should consume at least 150 mcg of iodine per day.
   • Shrimp and shellfish, sea vegetables like seaweed, Hiziki and Kombu contain a lot of iodine.
   • Organic yogurt and cottage cheese are also rich in iodine. One cup of yogurt contains 90 mcg of iodine, while about 30 g of fresh cheddar cheese contains 10-15 mcg of iodine.
   • Cranberries are also high in iodine. About 120 g of cranberry contains up to 400 mcg of iodine. Strawberries are another iodine-rich berry. One cup of strawberries contains 13 mcg of iodine.
   • White beans and potatoes are also high in iodine.
   • You should make sure to consume iodized salt.
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Warning

• Although goiter is rarely dangerous, you should still see your doctor if you experience this. A goiter can be a sign of thyroid cancer and should be evaluated by a medical professional.