Other common questions about thyroid treatment 1. Why do I speak normally after thyroid nodule surgery but feel more strained? This is mainly because the thyroid nodules are often dissected to avoid damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve during surgery, which may cause edema of the recurrent laryngeal nerve or affect its blood supply, resulting in the phenomenon of straining to speak. However, this phenomenon will gradually disappear about 3 months after surgery as the edema subsides and the blood supply is restored. Why do my hands and feet become numb for a period of time after thyroid nodule surgery? This is mainly due to the fact that the blood supply to the parathyroid glands is affected or the blood return to the parathyroid glands is blocked due to certain blood vessels having to be cut during surgery for thyroid nodules. Numbness in the hands and feet can often be relieved by appropriate calcium supplements such as Calcium D tablets. This phenomenon will gradually disappear about 2 months after surgery as the blood supply is restored or the bruising subsides. 3. Why is the incision swollen and hard after thyroid nodule surgery? This is actually due to the normal edema reaction of the incision after surgery. Because of the extensive separation of the skin flaps above and below the incision during thyroid nodule surgery, this can easily cause edema in the tissues surrounding the incision. Especially in middle-aged and older women, the incision is easily edematous because the skin is loose and there is more fatty tissue. Patients should not be alarmed by this situation, as the edema will gradually return to a flat incision within 2 months after surgery as the edema is absorbed. The incision of thyroid surgery is generally as thin as a line within one month, then it will gradually thicken in the first month after surgery, and then it will have a protrusion in the third month after surgery, reaching a peak in the sixth month after surgery. The healing of the thyroid surgery incision is related to the good or bad alignment of the incision sutures and the individual’s physical condition, and is not related to the placement of drains. 4. Why is there a pulling sensation when swallowing after thyroid surgery, and sometimes even a cough? This is related to the normal scar contraction reaction after thyroid nodule surgery. This is because, although there is only a line like scar on the neck after thyroid nodule surgery, the actual surgical trauma is much larger than this scar. This scar, like the incision on the neck, requires a normal scar reaction to recover, and during the scar reaction the scar will contract and pull on the trachea near the scar, causing a pulling sensation when swallowing and even irritating the trachea and causing a cough. 5.What are the side effects of taking thyroxine preparations after surgery? Does it have any effect on the body when taken for a long time? The main side effects of taking thyroxine preparations are headache, heartburn and high blood pressure. There are two types of thyroxine preparations, one is synthesized from animal raw materials, such as thyroxine tablets. This type of drug is not very pure because of more impurities, so it is not easy to control the dose when taking it. The other is synthesized from artificial raw materials, such as eugenol. This kind of drugs because the preparation is more pure, so when taking the dose is easy to grasp. However, no matter what kind of drugs you take, you need to check your thyroid function regularly to avoid excessive doses and drug-related hyperthyroidism. As long as the dose is appropriate, long-term use of thyroxine preparations will not cause adverse effects on the body. 6.What are the precautions for taking thyroxine preparations? It is best to take thyroxine preparation in the early morning after waking up on an empty stomach, and eat breakfast about half an hour after taking the medicine, so that the side effects of the medicine can be minimized and the efficacy can be best. At the same time, avoid taking thyroxine preparations together with drugs for stomach problems to avoid affecting the efficacy of the drug. 7.What are the dietary requirements after thyroid nodule surgery? To reduce recurrence after thyroid nodule surgery, you should eat less seafood and try to avoid iodine-rich foods such as kelp, shrimp and nori.