Nowadays, people suffering from thyroid nodules are becoming more and more common. Today, I have summarized the 7 most common questions about nodules and given professional answers, hoping to clear your doubts. 1. Why do thyroid nodules grow? The definite cause of hyperplastic thyroid nodules is not clear, but it may be related to several factors: high or low iodine intake, consumption of goitre-causing substances, consumption of goitre-causing drugs or defective thyroid hormone synthetase. It is more common in middle-aged women. In the presence of a relative deficiency of thyroid hormone in the body, the pituitary gland secretes increased TSH. Under the long-term stimulation of this increased TSH, the thyroid gland undergoes repeated or continuous hyperplasia resulting in uneven enlargement and nodule-like changes in the thyroid gland. There may be bleeding, cystic changes and calcification in the nodules. 2. What are the health risks of thyroid nodules? The risk of thyroid nodules depends on the nodule’s benignity, size, and function. Benign and malignant nodules: Benign nodules are basically harmless to the body and only need to be reviewed every 6 to 12 months. Malignant nodules, i.e. thyroid cancer, need to be treated promptly or they may lead to death. Of course, most patients with thyroid cancer can survive for a long time with timely and reasonable treatment. Size: If the nodule is too large or grows rapidly, it may press on the surrounding tissues and organs, resulting in hoarseness, difficulty in breathing, difficulty in swallowing, etc. Function: Some nodules can secrete thyroid hormones on their own, which can lead to hyperthyroidism, manifested as fear of heat, excessive sweating, panic, hand tremors, insomnia, weight loss, diarrhea, menstrual disorders, etc. Some nodules may be accompanied by hypothyroidism, which may manifest as fear of cold, dry skin, edema, weight gain, drowsiness, lack of energy, bloating, constipation, and menstrual disorders. 3. Is there a high possibility of thyroid nodules becoming malignant? 80% to 90% of thyroid nodules are benign lesions. Some nodules are benign when they are first discovered, but they may become malignant later, but the probability of this is very low. Therefore, it is very important to review the nodules regularly after they are found. If the nodules are found once every six months, and if there is no change, review once a year. 4.What can I do to shrink my thyroid nodules? If the nodule is malignant, early surgery is needed. If the nodule is benign, you can try the following methods to shrink the nodule: Medications: Oral thyroxine preparations are used to treat the nodule. However, the medication is very ineffective, and only a small percentage of people have nodule shrinkage after taking the medication; most people have little effect. Surgery: Considering the risk of surgery and other issues, surgery is generally not an option for benign nodules unless the nodules are very large or have recurrent bleeding. Ablation: This includes thermal ablation, anhydrous ethanol injection, and iodine 131 treatment. However, ablation has been introduced for a relatively short period of time, and its safety, applicable population, adverse reactions, risk of recurrence and other issues are not yet well understood. Therefore, ablation is not recommended by the mainstream medical community, and more time and research are needed to verify this treatment method. The above analysis shows that there is no good way to shrink nodules. Therefore, for benign thyroid nodules, doctors generally only instruct patients to review them regularly (every 6 to 12 months). Special warning: If a benign nodule appears to be significantly enlarged and other malignant manifestations during the review process, early surgery is required. 5.What thyroid nodules require surgery? Surgery is needed in the following cases: nodules that are proven to be malignant on puncture biopsy; nodules that are growing rapidly and are highly suspected of being malignant; nodules that are very large and have symptoms of pressure; nodules that are combined with hyperthyroidism; nodules that bleed repeatedly. 6. Can thyroid nodules recur after surgery? If the surgery is not complete and there are residues, there is a risk of recurrence after surgery. If the recurrence is followed by another surgery, the risk is 5 to 10 times higher than the initial surgery. This requires the surgeon to try to remove the nodules as thoroughly as possible during the surgery, which can be more difficult. 7. Should I eat non-iodized salt if I have a thyroid nodule? ①If you have thyroid nodules combined with hyperthyroidism or before iodine 131 treatment after thyroid cancer surgery, you should eat non-iodized salt, and you should not eat foods with high iodine content such as seaweed, nori, shrimp and shellfish. ②If thyroid nodules are combined with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, you do not need to eat non-iodized salt, you can eat normal iodized salt, but you should eat less seaweed, nori, shrimp and shellfish and other foods with high iodine content. If the nodule is a simple benign nodule, there are no special dietary requirements, as long as you do not eat a lot of seafood every day. After all, people who do not have thyroid problems can have problems eating large amounts of seafood every day.