With the increasing popularity of thyroid ultrasound, more and more people are having their thyroid nodules detected during medical checkups. The majority of thyroid nodules are “good”.
What factors predispose you to thyroid nodules?
- Mental factors: When you are in a long-term anxiety, depression, irritability, and high pressure state, your body’s endocrine balance is easily disrupted and you develop thyroid nodules.
- Hormone levels: Adolescents develop thyroid nodules when there is a deficiency of thyroid hormones (T3, T4) during the growth and development stage. Women are more likely to develop thyroid nodules than men because their hormone levels fluctuate greatly during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.
- Ionizing radiation: Prolonged exposure to radiation makes it easy to develop thyroid disease. Receiving multiple tests with high levels of radiation in a short period of time can have an impact on thyroid health (ultrasound is an acoustic exam without radiation and can be done repeatedly). The appliances and cell phones and WIFI that we commonly use emit non-ionizing radiation, and there is no evidence that they are harmful to humans.
Thyroid nodules do not equal thyroid cancer
There are a variety of thyroid disorders, such as degenerative thyroid disease and inflammation, that can manifest as nodules. Therefore, a thyroid nodule is not the same as thyroid cancer.
Thyroid cancer accounts for 5% to 15% of all nodules, and the majority are early. The most important thing is that thyroid cancer is a “relatively benign” cancer, with a 5-year survival rate of 96% or more after papillary cancer surgery. The most important thing is that thyroid cancer is a “relatively benign” cancer, with a 5-year survival rate of 96% or more after surgery.
How are thyroid nodules treated?
Many people feel that they need surgery if they have a nodule, and this is not true. The right thing to do is to follow up regularly and treat accordingly according to the progress of the disease.
Nodules, regardless of size, should be found and checked in the hospital. Because nodules may affect the normal function of the thyroid gland, the first detection requires a blood test for thyroid function and an ultrasound. If the diagnosis is benign and thyroid function is normal, the nodules should be reviewed every 3 to 6 months for the first year and every 6 to 12 months thereafter. If the nodule grows rapidly and is accompanied by hoarseness, difficulty swallowing or breathing, it should be rechecked as soon as possible.
The decision to operate depends not only on the size of the nodule, but also on a fine-needle biopsy or pathology. If the result is malignant, it should be surgically removed.
What should I eat if I have a thyroid nodule?
How people with thyroid nodules eat depends critically on the function of the thyroid gland.
- Normal function: Normal diet, seafood, kelp, iodized salt can be eaten in moderation. Do not eat more iodine-rich foods as they may irritate the thyroid.
- Nodules with hyperthyroidism (“hyperthyroidism”): An absolute “iodine-free” diet is difficult to achieve in life, but you should be careful to maintain a low iodine diet.
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