Get to know the types of goiter
What kind of information do you have about goiter? What type of goiter is called simple, productive and underactive goiter? How can we be sure of the health of our thyroid gland?
If you ask most people what is a goiter, they can answer that it is an enlargement of the thyroid gland in the front of the neck. Although this answer is correct, it is not complete and increasing information and public awareness about it is necessary in some ways. Including the fact that any kind of protrusion in the front of the neck is considered goiter provided that it is not caused by inflammation or tumor.
On the other hand, the normality of thyroid tests in the blood test is not a proof of not having goiter. In other words, in simple goiter, thyroid tests are normal, and the normality of the tests does not mean the absence of goiter. For this reason, this disease must be diagnosed by examination and laboratory tests are only used to diagnose the type of goiter.
Dr. Alireza Astaghami, an endocrinology specialist, explains about this disease: Goitre can be seen at any age, and it is more common in areas where iodine deficiency is more common and are considered endemic areas. Of course, this disease is more common in teenagers, but now that iodine deficiency has disappeared in some parts of the world, goiter can occur at any age. Although perhaps the increase in physiological needs during growth and maturity plays a role in it.
A member of the academic staff of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, emphasizing that the cause of goiter has not been well defined, says: However, this issue is still the main cause of goiter in areas of the world where there is iodine deficiency. Of course, in some areas, the use of some goitre substances such as compounds containing thiocyanate or perchlorate or some microbes in water are known as the causes of goitre, but today they believe that some immunoglobulins (blood molecules that are active in the immune system) that stimulate the growth of the thyroid gland can also play a role in the occurrence of non-endemic goiters.
Underactive and overactive goiter
Functionally, goiter is divided into three types: simple, low-functioning, and high-functioning goiter. The most common type of goitre is simple, in which only the size of the thyroid gland increases, but because the amount of thyroid hormones is normal, they do not have many symptoms except for the size of the gland.
This endocrinologist, emphasizing that mild hypothyroidism may not have many symptoms and may be diagnosed only in a random laboratory examination or have non-specific symptoms such as weakness and lethargy or fatigue, adds: hypothyroidism in all body parts may be a symptom create Feeling cold, dry skin, hair loss and roughness, nail brittleness, constipation, slight weight gain, menstrual disorder, appetite change, mood changes and depression or even slow heart rate and blood pressure are symptoms of hypothyroidism.
He emphasizes: But in overwork, the opposite symptoms of underwork are seen. It means a person with anxiety and restlessness, heart palpitations, sweating, feeling hot, angry and irritable, severe weight loss and increased appetite, increased frequency of bowel movements, diarrhea, changes in the menstrual cycle in women, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure and hair loss. And changes in the bed of the nails or protruding eyeballs or glare in the gaze, in advanced cases of double vision and tearing and impaired vision may occur.
Any pressure in the front of the neck is not a goiter
Simple goitre causes pressure symptoms in the neck only in advanced cases and has no other symptoms except for the swelling of the gland in front of the neck.
Saying these things, Dr. Tasatami emphasizes: the feeling of suffocation, which is a common complaint among people, in most cases, has nothing to do with goiter. Of course, it should be noted that when the thyroid grows, goitre disease occurs, which is usually uniform and uniform, but in some people, this growth may occur in a non-uniform and islet form and create one or more nodules in the thyroid tissue, which is called goitre. It is called a knot. The important point here is that due to the continued growth of the gland in this state, abnormal proliferation may occur, which means an increase in the risk of becoming cancerous.
Prevention using iodized salt
Currently, except for the use of iodized salt in food, there is no other serious method to prevent goiter, and consumption of special diets for treatment or prevention is generally not recommended.
Referring to the discussion of goitre treatment, Dr. Tasatami says: In low-active or simple goiter, we use lutyroxine tablets for treatment, and in high-active goiter, drugs or radioactive iodine are used, or in some cases, surgery. In fact, surgery is recommended in massive and very large goiters or in cases where hyperthyroidism does not respond to medical treatment or in thyroid tumors. Of course, another case of surgery is the patient’s own desire in terms of aesthetics.
Jam-e-Jam newspaper