A thyroid that feels hard to the touch may be abnormal. In normal people, the surface of the thyroid gland is smooth and symmetrical. The reason why the thyroid is hard to touch may be related to thyroiditis, nodular goiter, thyroid adenoma, thyroid cancer and so on.
1. Thyroiditis: subacute thyroiditis is often secondary to viral upper respiratory tract infections, and is mostly characterized by swelling and pain in the thyroid gland; chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis: mostly painless diffuse goiter, with symmetrical, hard, and smooth surface of the thyroid gland. NSAIDs or thyroxine supplementation may be prescribed according to the cause.
2. Nodular goiter: mainly caused by environmental iodine deficiency, mostly occurring in females, manifested by different degrees of enlargement of the thyroid gland, which can move up and down with swallowing. Surgery is needed when the goiter appears to be compressed.
3. Thyroid adenoma: it is the most common benign thyroid tumor, most of the patients do not have any symptom, it can be touched in the neck as a single nodule, slightly hard texture, smooth surface, no pressure pain. Benign adenomas without compression can be treated with regular checkups or medication in combination with thyroid function. If the adenoma is too big, surgery is needed.
4. Thyroid cancer: the most common malignant tumor of the thyroid gland, the most common manifestation is the lump found in the thyroid gland, with the progress of the disease, the lump increases in size, which can compress and invade the trachea and cause different degrees of dyspnea, hemoptysis, swallowing obstacles, etc., and the invasion of recurrent laryngeal nerves can cause hoarseness, which requires surgical treatment.
If the thyroid gland is hard to touch, you should consult a doctor in time, complete the relevant examination, clarify the specific cause of the disease, and follow the doctor’s instructions for treatment.