What is an Enlarged Thyroid?
To start off, an enlarged thyroid is called a goiter and it causes the front of your neck to swell up and increase in size. A goiter can appear as a result of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. It can also result from tumors or nodules that develop within the thyroid gland.
Symptoms of Enlarged Thyroid
Some symptoms of an enlarged thyroid or goiter are swelling, coughing, and although its rare throat tightness can occur. You may also have trouble breathing but that is a worse case scenario. A way to test if you have an enlarged thyroid is by touching it and seeing if its tender or not. If its tender and you have problems swallowing then you may need to get your thyroid checked out.
Causes of Enlarged Thyroid
One of the main causes of an enlarged thyroid is iodine deficiency, but that’s considered rare in the United States. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease – 2 immune disorders- are much more common causes of thyroid goiters in the US. Thyroid nodules can also cause goiters.
Treatments of an Enlarged Thyroid
Treatment depends on the cause of the goiter. For example, if your goiter is caused by Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, you’ll have to take a daily pill of thyroid hormone replacement. This will prevent the goiter from getting larger but wont completely shrink it. For Graves disease, you may need medication or radioactive iodine – a treatment that helps decrease your goiters size. If these treatments aren’t enough, your doctor will let you know if you need surgery.
Thyroid symptoms site 