With the popularization of medical checkups and the improvement of medical examination techniques, thyroid nodules are becoming more and more common. According to the statistical results of “Epidemiologic Survey of Thyroid Diseases in Ten Cities in China” published by Chinese Medical Association, the prevalence rate of thyroid nodules in ten cities in China is 18.6%. However, more than 90% to 95% of the nodules are benign and have little effect on the body. What about the remaining 10%? Are thyroid nodules benign or malignant? Benign nodules have a certain risk of becoming malignant? It’s like having a time bomb (or several) planted in your neck! In fact, thyroid nodules are not so scary, as long as you do the following, you can easily deal with. 1, blood draw is inevitable, but just a needle nodules may affect the normal function of the thyroid gland. Therefore, when you find nodules, the first thing you need to do is to take a blood test to check your thyroid function. Abnormalities in thyroid function include: (1) Hyperthyroidism: A decrease in the thyroid stimulating hormone TSH. This may be accompanied by symptoms such as fear of heat, excessive sweating, increased appetite, weight loss, panic attacks, and weakness of the limbs. (2) Hypothyroidism: TSH is elevated. It may be accompanied by symptoms such as fear of cold, loss of appetite, weight gain, tightness in the chest, abdominal distension and constipation, and swelling of the limbs. Most thyroid nodules do not have abnormal thyroid function, so most people just need to get a shot and rest easy. In the unfortunate event that an abnormality is found, as long as you cooperate with the doctor’s treatment, you can get better within a few months. 2, seafood buffet on don’t want to eat back to the capital la found thyroid nodules, to do some adjustments in the diet. Nodules if accompanied by hyperthyroidism: need to eat non-iodized salt, do not eat seaweed, seaweed, shrimp and shellfish. If the nodule is accompanied by hypothyroidism: generally need to slightly limit the intake of iodine, you can continue to eat iodized salt, you can also eat seafood in moderation, but seaweed, nori eat as little as possible. If the nodule is simple: there is no thyroid function abnormality, you can have a normal diet, but be careful not to eat seafood for a long time, a large amount of seafood. In short, after the discovery of nodules diet should pay more attention to balance, especially seafood, can not eat by nature. 3, early detection of malignant changes, good treatment results Thyroid nodules have a 5% chance of malignancy. Some nodules can be determined to be malignant when they are first detected, while others may turn from benign to malignant (malignant transformation). Therefore, even if a nodule is considered to be benign, it is important to keep an eye on the nodule for signs of malignancy. If you see any of the following two signs of malignancy, you should see a doctor as soon as possible: a nodule that has increased in size to the point where you can feel a lump in your neck; hoarseness, difficulty swallowing and whistling. However, even if the diagnosis is thyroid cancer, people should not panic. With timely and reasonable treatment, most thyroid cancer patients can survive and continue to enjoy a quality life. The key is to be able to detect the signs of malignant changes early and not to give the cancer a chance to metastasize and spread. 4. Regular review, regular review, regular review It is important to say it three times! The key is to find out those malignant nodules early, and do surgery as early as possible to deal with them, so as to kill cancer in the cradle. This is much more timely than going for checkups after symptoms appear. Benign nodules should be reviewed every 6 to 12 months; if the nodules are malignant, the review interval should be shortened, and it is best to listen to the doctor’s schedule. The follow-up is usually an ultrasound of the neck (including the thyroid gland and lymph nodes in the neck) to compare with the results of the previous examination to see if there are any changes in the nodules. So when you go to the hospital for a review, remember to bring your previous examination reports with you. 5. Don’t waste energy on benign nodules If the nodules are malignant, early surgery is definitely needed. If the nodule is benign, should we take some medicine to make the nodule smaller? It is advisable not to waste too much energy on benign nodules. Regular review is necessary, medication is not necessary, and surgery is even less necessary. There are indeed two methods of treating benign nodules without surgery – oral thyroxine and interventional ablation. However, medication is ineffective and may have side effects, and ablation technology is not yet mature. Therefore, both methods have not become popular and are not widely recognized by the medical gurus. Still, the best way to deal with benign nodules is to have regular checkups!