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Goitre
Jan 10, 2012
The thyroid gland, which is located in the lower part of the neck below the Adam’s apple, wrapped around the trachea, makes and stores hormones that help regulate the body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and the rate at which food is converted into energy, besides regulating growth and the rate of chemical reactions in the body.
Goitre is the swelling of the thyroid gland and may be accompanied by the over-reactivity or less frequently by the under-reactivity of the thyroid.
Goitre, caused commonly due to deficiency of iodine in the diet, occurs naturally in most foods such as carrots, garlic, onions, strawberries, guavas, citrus fruits, watercress, lettuce, turnips, oats, pineapple, whole rice and tomatoes. It is present in small amounts.
New Zealand grown vegetables and fruits are low in iodine compared with foods produced in other parts of the world because the soils are low in iodine.
A list of rich sources of iodine include haddock, cod, condensed milk, trifle, eggs, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, malt bread, naan bread, fish oils, iodized salt and cheese cake. Those foods high in iodine include sea kelp, seaweed and sea foods
It is recommended that adults consume around 150 micrograms of iodine each day, but the requirements are higher for pregnant and breastfeeding women and lower for children, infants and toddlers. A survey shows that the amount of iodine consumed by New Zealanders may be less that 60 per cent of what is recommended.
It is possible for a person with goiter can have normal levels of thyroid hormone (euthyroidism), excessive levels (hyperthyroidism) or levels that are that are too low (hypothyrodism).
The function of the thyroid gland is to produce a hormone called thyroxine. Too much thyroxine (hyperthyroidism) may produce symptoms such as tremor, increased energy, poor sleep, weight loss, frequently bulging eyes, heat intolerance and irritability.
Too little thyroxine (hypothyroidism) may cause tiredness, weight gain and slowness of speech and thinking.
The following symptoms that may exist when a person has goiter are a feeling of tightness in the throat, coughing more frequently than usual, hoarseness (voice), swallowing difficulties and breathing difficulties.
While people of all ages can develop goiter, including babies at birth, it is more common in females than males. The reasons for this are not clear.
The causes of goitre include iodine deficiency, Grave’s disease, thyroid cancer, pregnancy, menopause, inflammation of thyroid, Hashimoto’s disease, thyroid cyst, some medicines, radiation, and some infections goitrogenic foods.
A general practitioner may detect a swollen thyroid gland by feeling the patient’s neck and asking him or her to swallow during a routine physical examination. The characteristic of the thyroid gland is that it moves up and down on swallowing.
By observing this movement your doctor can be confident that the swelling is the thyroid rather than some other problem.
The doctor may do tests that include a hormone test, an antibody test, ultrasound, a thyroid scan (radioactive iodine scan).
If a person has to go for surgery for his or her goitre, the thyroid operation scars can hardly be seen after a few months.
Comments
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Chaas -
January 14, 2012, 11:01 pm
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Norelien -
February 22, 2012, 10:28 am
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