Goiter

Overview

A goiter is any visible enlargement or swelling of the thyroid a gland in the throat that secretes a hormone which regulates body growth and metabolism. Generally it is harmless and may even disappear on its own. If it continues to grow however you may need medical treatment to ease the discomfort and prevent more serious thyroid conditions.

Causes

Iodine is needed by the body to produce thyroid hormone. If you aren't getting enough iodine in your diet your thyroid will grow larger in an effort to overcome the shortfall. However this has become relatively rare in North American thanks to the introduction of iodized salt in the early part of the 20th century. There are however certain risk factors that can increase your likelihood of developing a goiter. These include:

Gender. The condition affects women four times more often than men.

Age. Goiters are more common in people over the age of 40.

Family history. If a close family member has had goiter you are more likely to develop the condition too.

Medical history. Certain serious thyroid diseases including Graves' disease may contribute to the formation of a goiter as will benign or malignant tumours of the thyroid gland.

Medications. Some drugs that are designed to slow thyroid hormone production may cause goiters.

Symptoms

The most visible sign of goiter is a swollen neck. However you may also experience:

  • difficulty breathing
  • difficulty swallowing
  • dizziness when arms are raised above the head

Treatment

If you have any of the above symptoms and your doctor diagnoses goiter he or she will try to discover the cause. You'll likely be sent for a series of blood tests and possibly for a thyroid scan to see what your thyroid looks like and to determine how well the gland is working.

In the unlikely event that you have an iodine deficiency (endemic goiter) treatment may be a simple matter of adding iodized salt to your diet. Your doctor can also prescribe a potassium iodine solution to help make up for the shortage of iodine in your body. If your goiter is a side effect of a prescribed medication he'll want to find an alternative. If hyperthyroidism develops it can be treated with radioactive iodine. This will help shrink the thyroid gland. Another option is surgical removal of part of the gland or the entire gland.