Dear Friends,
Hello, in our health article, I would like to tell you about the heating chamber of our body. Our organ, the thyroid nodule gland, where the disease we all hear as goiter develops, is the heating chamber of our body.
In our articles, we will follow the developments together in order to inform you about the causes, formation, dangers and treatment of thyroid nodule, step by step.
The Beginning of Thyroid Nodule
The thyroid nodule gland, the organ where the disease we all hear as "goiter" develops, is the heating chamber of our body.
On the front of the neck, just under the protrusion we call the Adam's apple, the trachea passes. This small 20-gram thyroid nodule gland, shaped like a horseshoe, accomplishes great things compared to its size. We can list them as follows;
- It regulates body temperature, the body's water need and oxygen use.
- It is effective in the use of fat, sugar and protein, along with other hormones.
- It is effective in the coordinated functioning of the muscle and nervous systems.
- It has an important place in the development of children.
- It has psychological regulatory effects.
What we call basal metabolism, the body's The diseases of this very important organ, which regulates the amount of energy required to maintain our vital functions (such as heartbeat, body temperature, breathing, kidney and liver function) during 12 hours of fasting and rest, are numerous. Thyroid nodule gland diseases, which we see at a rate of approximately 30% in the society, but many of us do not even realize, occur more frequently in women than in men.
The presence of physiological periods in which women's hormones change a lot and are turned upside down, so to speak, makes thyroid nodule diseases more common in men. It is effective in the fact that it is seen more frequently in women. Intense hormonal activity during women's transition to adolescence, pregnancy and menopause affects the thyroid nodule gland directly and indirectly, and the disease can occur in these periods and the existing disease is also activated in these periods.
The diseases of the thyroid nodule gland are generally structural. or appear functional. these two The main group of diseases can occur together or separately. Structural diseases of thyroid nodule are determined as goiter with nodule (nodular goiter) and growth without nodule (diffuse goiter). If there is more than one nodule, we describe the disease as multinodular goiter.
Thyroid nodule function diseases are in the form of over- or under-functioning. When the thyroid nodule gland works too much, that is, it secretes too much hormone into the blood, it is called hyperthyroid nodule (toxic goiter). In this case, hot flashes, rapid heartbeat (palpitations), intolerance to heat, weight loss, tremors in the hands, and bulging eyes occur. The situation of underactivity is called hypothyroid nodule. When this develops; Complaints such as hair loss, fatigue, dry skin, forgetfulness, weakness, and tendency to sleep are observed.
Since we stated that the disease is structural and functional, it is essential to evaluate both aspects when making a diagnosis. Since it is seen even in childhood, in the presence of the function-related complaints I mentioned above or when a swelling in the neck is detected, to evaluate the thyroid nodule hormones T3 and T4 with a blood test in terms of function and to evaluate the TSH (thyroid nodule stimulating hormone) value, which controls the functioning of the thyroid nodule. It is necessary to measure. In addition to these blood tests, we should examine the thyroid nodule with thyroid nodule ultrasonography for structural evaluation. We can measure thyroid nodule hormones at any time of the day. In other words, we do not have to starve for a certain period of time.
Goiter, which we call thyroid nodule disease, is closely related to our iodine intake. Therefore, we must be careful about insufficient or excessive use of iodine. Iodized salts on the market are important in this regard. In addition, iodine intake from seafood is very rich. The amount of iodine in the grain products we consume in large quantities is not sufficient. Some edible foods (for example, kale in the Black Sea region) and substances in drinking water in some regions bind iodine, causing iodine deficiency and thyroid nodule diseases. In addition to iodine deficiency or excess, familial transmission and even stress, the famous problem of our age, can cause thyroid nodule diseases. It can cause death.
With medical treatments for functional diseases, improvement is achieved in this direction, and even small nodules under 2 cm can be eliminated to a certain extent with medical treatment.
In structural diseases. If there is a nodule, it is necessary to be examined by an endocrine diseases, internal medicine or general surgery specialist. Because, in the presence of a nodule, the structure and number of the nodule determine the treatment options. Resistance to treatments for the nodule and the size of the nodule may highlight the option of surgical treatment. Drug treatment may be required to prevent the nodule from developing again after surgical treatment or to prevent thyroid nodule failure, which we call hypothyroid nodule.
In addition to these, I would also like to briefly talk about malignant tumors of the thyroid nodule gland. There are 5 types of thyroid nodule cancers that we have encountered more frequently recently. However, we encounter two of these very frequently. Thyroid nodule cancers, which have an 80-90% cure with surgical treatment, especially when caught at an early stage, are no longer a nightmare for people who have regular check-ups.
To summarize, it affects our entire life, from brain functions to sexual life, from body temperature to our weight and even our mood. It will be enough to evaluate ourselves a little to recognize the disease of this very important organ that affects us. Unreasonable weight loss, palpitations even when inactive, tremors in the hands, excessive sweating, excessive irritability, excessive mobility, lack of sexual reluctance, diarrhea, weight gain even with little food, constipation, extreme fatigue, weakness, tendency to sleep, palpable swelling in the neck are warning signs for us. It may be a symptom.
Let's not forget that if we get away from the concerns of our daily lives and turn to ourselves a little from time to time, the voice of our body will definitely warn us for our health and happiness. Let's listen to this voice.
Stay healthy.
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