Thyroid
Disease
The thyroids are responsible for the production of certain hormones that control the metabolic functions of your body. Thyroid conditions can range from small harmless goiter (enlarged glands) to cancer.
The thyroids are responsible for the production of certain hormones that control the metabolic functions of your body. Thyroid conditions can range from small harmless goiter (enlarged glands) to cancer.
Symptoms may include all or some of the following:
Thyroid disease is first diagnosed via a visit to your ENT. Your doctor will examine your neck area checking for lumps or enlarged glands related to your thyroid. The next step would be a blood test in order to assess the amount of hormones that are present in your blood. Depending on the results, additional imaging tests such as CT scans, MRI or ultrasound, may be requested to obtain an accurate diagnosis. If your doctor suspects possible cancer, a biopsy may be performed.
Hypothyroidism. Occurs when your thyroids under produce hormones. If untreated, hypothyroidism can lead to obesity, joint pain, infertility and heart disease.
Hyperthyroidism. Occurs when your thyroids produce too much thyroxine, which accelerates the metabolism and can lead to weight loss, rapid or irregular heartbeat, irritability and more.
Goiter. An abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. If suffering from Goiter a visible swelling in the neck area may appear leading to tight feeling in the throat, coughing, hoarseness and/or difficulty swallowing.
Cancer. Thyroid cancer is quite rare rare and curable. People who have received radiation therapy in the head and neck area have a higher-than-normal risk of developing thyroid cancer. Signs of thyroid cancer include lump in the neck, trouble swallowing, hoarseness and more.
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