Start planning my 2024 Do you have thyroid nodules?Do you know what the truth about thyroid nodules is?Do you feel anxious and fearful because of thyroid nodules?If you have these doubts, then you should definitely take a look at this article because I want to uncover the truth about thyroid nodules for you so that you are no longer misled and deceived.
1. Introduce yourself.
Hello everyone, I am Director Lu Dianrong of Beijing Public Tertiary Hospital, I have been engaged in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules for more than 20 years, I have seen many patients with thyroid nodules, and I know their mood and confusion very well. So today I would like to share with you some real conditions about thyroid nodules, hoping to help you understand and treat thyroid nodules correctly.
2. The harm of nodules.
Thyroid nodules are lumps of varying sizes that appear inside the thyroid gland and may be single or multiple, they may be solid or cystic, they may be benign or malignant. The main harms of thyroid nodules are as follows:
1. Affect thyroid function. Thyroid nodules may cause hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, resulting in a series of metabolic disorders, such as palpitations, excessive sweating, weight changes, irritability, insomnia, constipation, hair loss, etc.
2. Compress the surrounding tissues. If the thyroid nodule is too large, it may compress the surrounding trachea, esophagus, nerves, and other tissues, causing symptoms such as difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, and hoarseness.
3. Risk of cancer. Some thyroid nodules are malignant, that is, thyroid cancer, which can be life-threatening if not detected in time. The incidence of thyroid cancer has increased in recent years, and according to statistics, about 200,000 people are diagnosed with thyroid cancer every year.
3. The truth about nodules.
Faced with the harm of thyroid nodules, many patients will feel scared and worried, they may seek medical advice everywhere, do a lot of tests, take a lot of medicine, and even think about removing the thyroid nodule as soon as possible, thinking that this will solve the problem. However, these practices are all wrong because they do not learn the truth about thyroid nodules. So, what is the truth about thyroid nodules?Listen to me reveal it for you:
1. Many nodules do not require surgery. Not all thyroid nodules require surgery. In fact, most of them are benign nodules, as long as they are observed regularly and the thyroid function is controlled, there will be no major problems. If it is only surgically removed, and does not change the body's physique that loves to grow nodules, the nodules will still grow back. In addition, there is a certain risk of surgery, which may damage the thyroid gland itself or the surrounding nerves and parathyroid glands, leading to some complications such as hoarseness and hypocalcemia.
2. Don't try home remedies casually, instead of tea. Traditional Chinese medicine pays attention to syndrome differentiation and treatment, and what is suitable for others may not be suitable for you. Many patients have told me that they have seen news about special drugs for nodules on the Internet, or heard that certain herbs, teas, and foods can be used to make nodules, so they want to give it a try. Here, I would like to advise everyone to be cautious and not to allow themselves to suffer more damage to their bodies. These so-called home remedies, tea substitutes, have not been scientifically proven and may have adverse effects on thyroid function and the growth of nodules, and may even lead to the deterioration or cancerous transformation of nodules.
3. It is to maintain a good mood. Thyroid nodules, breast nodules and pulmonary nodules, their occurrence has a lot to do with mood. If you're always nervous, anxious, and unhappy, nodules will love to come to you. So you have to get rid of these bad emotions and make yourself happy, which is more effective than if you spent money on medicine. You can do more things that are conducive to relaxation, such as listening, watching movies, doing sports, chatting with friends, etc., which can increase your positive energy and reduce your negative emotions, thereby improving your physique and keeping nodules away from you.
4. Prevention of nodules.
Now that we know the truth about thyroid nodules, how can we prevent them from occurring?In fact, the way to prevent thyroid nodules is very simple, as long as the following are done, the incidence of thyroid nodules can be effectively reduced:
1. Ensure adequate iodine intake. Iodine is an important raw material for thyroxine, and if iodine intake is insufficient, it can lead to hypothyroidism, which stimulates thyroid hyperplasia and forms nodules. Therefore, we need to ensure that we consume enough iodine every day, and in general, adults should consume around 150 micrograms of iodine per day2. We can supplement iodine by eating some iodine-rich foods, such as kelp, seaweed, marine fish, shrimp, etc., and we can also use iodized salt for flavoring, but be careful not to overdo it, otherwise it will cause too much iodine and will also affect thyroid function.
2. Avoid contact with radioactive materials. The damage to the thyroid gland caused by radioactive substances is very large, it can destroy the normal structure of the thyroid gland, lead to mutations of thyroid cells, and increase the risk of thyroid cancer. Therefore, we should try to avoid exposure to radiation.
5. Examination of nodules.
If you suspect that you have a thyroid nodule, or if you have discovered that you have a thyroid nodule, you should go to the hospital promptly for a check-up to determine the nature and extent of the nodule. There are several main methods of examination for thyroid nodules:
1. Thyroid ultrasound. This is a non-invasive examination method that can show the shape, size, location, structure, blood flow and other information of the thyroid gland through the reflection of sound waves, so as to determine the number, size, shape, location, internal structure, border, echo, blood flow and other characteristics of the nodules, as well as whether there is lymph node metastasis. Thyroid ultrasonography is the preferred method for the examination of thyroid nodules, which has the advantages of simple operation, non-invasive, non-radiation, low cost and good repeatability.
2. Thyroid function test. This is a test that measures the levels of thyroid hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormone in the blood to evaluate thyroid function. Thyroid function tests can help determine whether thyroid nodules are affecting the proper functioning of the thyroid gland and whether they are causing hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Thyroid function tests mainly include the following indicators: serum free triiodothyronine (FT3), serum free thyroxine (FT4), serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), serum thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAB), serum thyroglobulin antibody (TGAB), etc.
3. Thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy. This is a test method in which a thyroid nodule is punctured with a thin needle under local anesthesia, and cells from the nodule are extracted for cytology under a microscope to determine whether the nodule is benign or malignant. Thyroid needle aspiration biopsy is the gold standard for thyroid nodules, which has the advantages of high accuracy, less trauma, fewer complications, and low cost3. The results of a fine needle needle biopsy of the thyroid gland are usually graded according to the Bethesda system, which is divided into six grades, from grade to grade, the higher the grade, the greater the likelihood of malignancy, and the protocol is also different.