What is Thyroid?
Thyroid is a butterfly shaped endocrine gland in your neck which makes hormones. It
is responsible for controlling activities in the body. These activities include how
fast you burn calories and how fast your heart beats.
What is Thyroid disease?
In a layman’s language Thyroid disease is medical condition in which the thyroid
gland is not able to make the right amount of hormones. It is known as thyroid
swelling if the thyroid gland located in your neck gets inflamed and increases in
size. It is sometimes referred to as thyroiditis or goitre.
Many causes of swelling of the thyroid include :
Pregnancy
Women who are pregnant will notice slight thyroid swelling on rare occasions. The
body releases a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin during pregnancy (hCG).
The hormone may cause thyroid gland discomfort, creating a painless goitre that is
small to moderate in size. There is often no treatment required, and shortly after
birth, the thyroid gland normally returns to its normal size.
Diet
Lack of iodine in your diet can cause swelling of the goitre or thyroid gland. This
is because iodine is required by the thyroid gland to produce hormones, and iodine
deficiency can lead to overwork and swelling.
In this case, the only medication needed is usually to increase the intake of iodine
in the diet.
Grave’s disease – Overproduction of thyroid hormones has induced thyroid swelling.
Your doctor will also search for elevated hormones in your blood if swelling is
followed by other symptoms, such as weight loss and insomnia. If the levels of
hormones are high, then a radioactive iodine uptake test is required.
Adjusting or removing medication dosages can help. A Goiter can be present with a
more severe underlying disorder on rare occasions. Swelling caused by a thyroid
gland lump is typically a benign tumour or cyst, although it may be a cancerous
tumour in rare cases. To assess the cause of the nodule, your doctor will prescribe
a biopsy, and then treat it accordingly.
Unless goitre causes difficulties in breathing or swallowing, treatment for thyroid
swelling is not required. Intervention may be needed for increased coughing or
hoarseness.
Treatment for Thyroid
Drugs or Medication : Without discussing the cause, aspirin and corticosteroid medications only treat the swelling. The development of some thyroid hormones is decreased by levothyroxine and can shrink growth.
Surgical operation : It can be more invasive, but it can be targeted at a particular region of the gland.
Treatment with radioactive iodine : Ingestion of an iodine-containing capsule combined with toxic chemicals induces the death of part of the gland.
At Tirath Ram Shah Hospital we make sure to take care of your requirements. We are committed to providing you with a high-quality health care system comprising trained doctors and advanced techniques of treatment. If you find swelling in your neck, you must contact our ENT specialist.