Healthcare: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Goiter

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Often goiter can be easily seen as a lump in the front of the neck, slightly to the left and/or right of center.
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At Baylor Medicine, our endocrinologists are specifically trained in the treatment of goiters. This relatively common disease is often treated in our outpatient clinic.

A goiter is an enlarged thyroid gland, which is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of the neck. A goiter often causes a noticeable swelling in the front of the neck.

A goiter can be caused by an array of things, most commonly, a lack of iodine in the diet, a tumor or nodule on the gland, a thyroid disease, or, in rare cases, cancer. In many parts of the world, goiters are most common in people who have hypothyroidism, in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone, related to a low-iodine diet. In the United States, most people with goiters have chronic autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis). This occurs when the body’s immune system damages the thyroid.

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Goiter: Care Instructions

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You may take thyroid hormone to reduce the size of your goiter. Or you may need surgery or radioactive iodine treatment. Some people don’t need any treatment. They only need to watch for changes in the goiter.

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How can you care for yourself at home?

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Be safe with medicines. Take your medicines exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if you think you are having a problem with your medicine. You will get more details on the specific medicines your doctor prescribes.

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