| Your body's thyroid plays an important role in the | | | | If you have been diagnosed as having nodules, here |
| regulation of your metabolism, which is the conversion | | | | are 3 facts you should know: |
| of oxygen and food calories into energy. In fact, every | | | | 1. Most nodules show no symptoms: |
| cell in your body relies upon the thyroid hormone for | | | | Most thyroid nodules have no symptoms. When they |
| proper functioning. | | | | are detected, they are sometimes found by patients |
| Some people can develop thyroid nodules, which are | | | | who feel a lump in their throat or who see it in the |
| lumps that commonly grow on the thyroid gland. These | | | | mirror. In other cases, an acquaintance of the patient |
| lumps are usually found at the edge of the thyroid | | | | may notice an odd lump in the patient's neck. Or, a |
| gland, so they can actually be felt from outside the | | | | routine physician's exam might result in the detection of |
| body. They can sometimes be detected by human | | | | a thyroid nodule. |
| touch or seen from the front of the neck in the case | | | | 2. Nodules can be discovered when the patient is |
| of very thin people. | | | | undergoing medical scans: |
| Important Statistics | | | | In the cases whereby nodules are not detected |
| Here are some facts regarding nodules: | | | | visually or by the feeling of a lump in the throat, a |
| * Thyroid nodules are fairly common young women, | | | | patient undergoing a medical scan for an unrelated |
| with about 1 in 15 having them. | | | | reason may have their nodules detected by a doctor |
| * Meanwhile, about 1 in 40 young men have thyroid | | | | or lab technician. This can happen with scans like CT |
| nodules. | | | | scans, MRI scans or ultrasound scans. Fortunately, |
| * The vast majority - about 95% - are non-cancerous. | | | | thyroid nodules found this way are cancerous less |
| * Almost everyone develops a thyroid nodule by the | | | | than 1% of the time. |
| time they turn fifty | | | | 3. Once you are diagnosed, your doctor will run tests |
| Thyroid Nodule and the Esophagus | | | | and perform examinations to determine the answers |
| Some people with these nodules wonder about the | | | | to these three questions about each thyroid nodule |
| nodules' effects on the esophagus. In its normal state, | | | | that is detected:a. Is the nodule cancerous? |
| the thyroid is located just above the Adam's apple in | | | | (remember, there is only a 5% chance of this being the |
| the throat, draping around the trachea (or windpipe) | | | | case).b. Is the nodule causing compression (i.e., pressing |
| and pressing lightly against the esophagus (part of the | | | | on other structures in the neck)?c. Is the nodule making |
| throat that leads to the stomach). | | | | too much thyroid hormone? |
| However, a thyroid with nodules can sometimes be | | | | Once a thyroid is detected, your physician will likely ask |
| painful, and if the nodules get large enough they can | | | | you a number of questions about your health and its |
| put pressure on the trachea and/or esophagus. This is | | | | relationship to your thyroid nodules. For example, he or |
| a condition known as compression and can lead to | | | | she may ask you whether you have been exposed to |
| difficulty swallowing, frequent coughing, and other | | | | nuclear radiation or have received radiation treatments |
| problems. | | | | as a child. Your physician will then explore treatment |
| 3 Facts You Should Know | | | | options with you. |