People who are suffering from neck tumor and obesity have been told that it is thyroid problem. Complete awareness about thyroid is not widespread. Cancer surgeon from Kaveri Hospital, Trichy explains why thyroid problem occurs and how to prevent it Anees.
Thyroid Gland
“There are many endocrine glands in our body like pituitary gland, adrenal gland, thyroid gland. Thyroid gland is one of them. It is above the windpipe and below the larynx in our neck. It is divided into right lobe, left lobe and isthmus.
An important function of the thyroid gland is to secrete the hormone thyroxine. This thyroxine hormone is the basis for human body movement such as food digestion, heart function, starting from the brain development of the baby in the mother’s womb.
Women are more affected
Thyroid-related disorders are more common in women than in men. Two types of problems can occur in the thyroid gland. The first is the impact on its performance. Hormone secretion may decrease, or increase, if performance is affected. If the hormone is secreted less, it is called hypothyroidism, and if the hormone is secreted too much, it is called hyperthyroidism. The cause of performance impairment can be identified and treated with medication.
Most people suffer from hypothyroidism. The main reason for this is iodine deficiency. Iodine is essential for thyroxine production. We suggest taking iodized salt to overcome this deficiency. If pregnant women suffer from hypothyroidism, there is a possibility that the brain development of the child born to them will be affected. Because of that, pregnant women are given thyroid test and medical treatment. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, swelling of the face, hands and feet, constipation, and menstrual problems in women.
What will be the impact?
In case of hyperthyroidism, body weight loss, hand tremors, diarrhoea, menstrual problems in women, eye whites coming out of the eyelids are the problems. These are the effects of thyroid gland dysfunction. Second, tumors can occur in the thyroid area. This is called nodule. 85% of these tumors are benign tumors. 15% are likely to be cancerous tumors. Tumors other than cancer can be caused by hyper or hypothyroidism.
If it comes with swelling or a lump in the neck, it is most likely a thyroid tumor. These tumors are more likely to extend into the chest in some people. These are mostly unknown. If the thyroid tumor grows more than 3 cm, it is likely to be removed. People presenting with thyroid symptoms will undergo three main medical tests. First of all, thyroid profile test, DSS, T3, T4 tests are used to find out if the thyroid gland is functioning properly. Second, an ultrasound examination will be performed. This will determine the size of the tumor, the number of tumors, whether the tumor is normal or cancerous, and if it is cancerous, whether it has spread to nearby lymph nodes. Doctors may recommend a CT scan if the thyroid tumor extends into the chest.
Can be controlled by diet
In the third test, cells are taken from the tumor through a needle and analyzed. Through this, it can be detected whether the tumor is cancerous or normal. After these three tests, and palpation with the hands, it is determined whether the tumor is cancerous or normal. If the tumor is normal, below 3 cm in size, and is determined to be benign, it may not require any medical treatment. It is enough to monitor it continuously. It can be controlled by diet. If it grows more than 3 cm from a normal tumor and becomes a problem, it can be corrected by surgery.
If it is a cancerous tumor, surgery is mandatory. If the tumor in the thyroid grows and affects the nerves in the vocal tract and changes the voice, it is more likely to be a cancerous tumor. Four types of cancers can occur in the thyroid: papillary carcinoma, follicular carcinoma, medullary and anaplastic. 80 percent of these cancers are papillary and follicular carcinoma.
Iodine is essential!
More than 90 percent of papillary and follicular cancers can be successfully cured with proper surgery and radioiodine ablation therapy. In the remaining cancers, it cannot be cured if the cancer has spread to other organs. But in thyroid cancer, even if the cancer has spread to other organs, it can be cured with the best treatment.
Consume balanced iodine-rich foods to prevent hypothyroidism. Especially green vegetables are rich in iodine, so they can be taken regularly. Also, if something like a lump appears in the throat, you should immediately consult a doctor and get treatment. By doing so, we can treat the thyroid problem at an early stage,” says Dr. Anees.
