Causes of enlarged thyroid: about the thyroid gland; what is an
enlarged thyroid? What are the symptoms that your thyroid gland has
increased in size? Also know the causes that might have caused the
enlargement in the thyroid gland.
The thyroid gland is a small gland that can be found in the front
portion of the neck that is responsible for producing hormones
responsible for the regulation of the rate at which each and every
cell in your body processes. Thyroid is usually quarter sized, but
many problems can lead to the causes of
enlarged thyroid. Some of the disorders include pregnancy,
Graves' disease, thyroiditis and iodine deficiency.
Hence, thyroid diseases can significantly have a great impact on a
person's health. If the thyroid is secreting lesser amounts of
thyroid hormone, the metabolism rate of the body slows down, leading
to listlessness and other problems; however, an over secretion of
thyroid hormone will result in a faster heart rating and feelings of
anxiety. Behind such thyroid mechanisms and enlargement of thyroid,
there are several causes of enlarged thyroid.
The enlargement in the thyroid gland, also called as goiter, is
often a symptom of a thyroid disease. Because
causes of enlarged thyroid can depict several different
conditions, such as thyroid cancer, you should be proactive in
consulting a physician to book an immediate examination. While
goiter is just a thyroid disease sign indicating either hypo or
hyper-thyroidism, it can also be caused due to nutritional
deficiency, such as a lack in iodine content in the daily diet.
Causes for enlargement in the thyroid gland
The causes of enlarged thyroid
can be many and their treatment will usually vary depending on the
type and nature of the cause. Some of the causes of enlarged thyroid
are listed below:
Iodine
Inadequate consumption of iodine is the one of the biggest
causes of enlarged thyroid. Iodine can
be found in shellfish and iodized salt. The thyroid gland makes use
of this element to produce hormones. Therefore, when the pituitary
gland will try to stimulate the thyroid gland for increasing its
production, it will cause an enlarged thyroid gland.
Graves' disease
This disorder is also one of the leading causes of enlarged
thyroid gland. In Grave's disease, being an autoimmune system disorder, there is production of antibodies
by the immune system that causes the production of large quantities
of hormones by the thyroid gland. This over production, also called
as hyperthyroidism, results in non-painful swelling in the thyroid
gland.
Hashimoto's disease
Hashimoto's disease is another among the leading
causes of enlarged thyroid gland. In
this disease, your own immune system destroys the thyroid gland. The
swollen and enlarged thyroid occurs since it is more damaged and has
lost the ability to produce thyroid hormones.
Pregnancy
One of the causes of enlarged thyroid
in women might be pregnancy. During this period, the body of a woman
naturally secrete more hormones as compared to normal production.
One of such hormones produced during this time, called chorionic
gonadotropin, might cause a slight swelling in the thyroid gland.
Thyroiditis
Among the other causes of enlarged thyroid,
thyroiditis is also a significant cause. This disorder is caused at
times when you experience inflammation in the thyroid gland. Some
kinds of thyroiditis are highly painful, especially during
swallowing down or putting pressure on the gland. Such a condition
of inflammation can also occur due to hypothyroidism or
hyperthyroidism.
Thyroid Nodules
These are very small growths that develop within the thyroid gland.
These nodular growths can feel like hard lumps near the throat. Most
of the thyroid nodules are only benign over-growths in the thyroid
tissue, although some nodules can also be cancerous. A biopsy is the
best and the only option that can determine if the lump is
cancerous.
Treatments or preventive measures that can be
adopted
If you spot or experience any of the above stated
causes of enlarged thyroid or an
unlikely lump in your throat, go and consult your doctor so that you
can determine the cause of the enlarged thyroid.
Some disorders, causing hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, can be
efficiently treated with oral medicines. Hashimoto's Disease, for
instance, is usually treated by thyroid replacement therapy, while
the treatment of Grave's Disease is done with anti-thyroid medicines
in combination with beta drug blockers. These drugs and herbal
therapies such as Endosterol reduce
the goiter size as well as associated symptoms.
However, many times more invasive type of treatment is needed on the
presence of a thyroid problem. Thyroid cancer needs to be treated by
surgery called as thyroidectomy, which involves the removal of the
entire gland. For those suffering from thyroid nodules or
hyperthyroidism radioactive treatment of iodine is a suggested
solution. Unless a person is suffering from thyroid cancer, doctors
generally try not to remove the thyroid by surgical procedures.