What types of thyroid nodules are included In fact, the term “thyroid nodules” itself encompasses a large group of thyroid disorders of very different nature, often with inconsistent lesion characteristics. It can be argued that “thyroid nodules” is not a final diagnosis, not only because it is a descriptive name that does not fully reflect the nature of the disease, but also because the nature of some nodule lesions is changing. Most thyroid nodules are benign nodules. How thyroid nodules arise The causes of different thyroid nodules vary, and the causes of some thyroid nodules are not fully understood. Inflammatory thyroid disease is often related to autoimmunity and is often seen in young women, with insidious disease. Malignant tumors are often related to cytogenetic abnormalities and may have a family history or a history of local or systemic radiation exposure to the head and neck during childhood, and are also affected by environmental factors, such as long-term consumption of foods with high iodine content; benign tumors, although they may also have a family tendency, are often affected by environmental factors, such as insufficient iodine intake during development or long-term high iodine intake, or long-term consumption of large amounts of cabbage, cabbage, radish, cassava and other foods rich in thiocyanate or cyanogenic sugar. thiocyanates or cyanogenic glycosides, or the consumption of certain herbs with a high content of flavonoids (different from isoflavones, which are two different types of compounds), or the long-term consumption of seaweed (seaweed is rich in iodine and other goiter-causing substances, which have a double negative effect on the thyroid gland). Chemical and bacterial contamination of water sources has also been found in recent years to cause nodular goiter. The effects of food or herbal factors are not exhaustive for everyone and are largely related to individual susceptibility (e.g., those with a family history), so regular people need not fear such vegetables or herbs. The nodules can often disappear after the inflammation has cleared up, but patients with thyroid nodules need to be followed up regularly by a specialist, with fine needle aspiration cytology if necessary, as well as regular biochemical, immunological and imaging measurements and tests according to the doctor’s instructions. Patients with thyroid nodules should be followed up by a specialist on a regular basis. In general, patients with thyroid nodules should limit their intake of iodine (including foods and medications with high iodine content) to avoid aggravating the autoimmunity of the thyroid gland or promoting the development of cancer and thyroid function. Dietary modifications are required for susceptible individuals. Those with autoimmune diseases need to adjust their lifestyle and quit bad habits, etc. Harmful substances inhaled by smokers can also have a negative effect on thyroid cells.