The thyroid gland is actively involved in the production of important hormones that are necessary for the regulation of metabolism and cell division. Unfortunately, it is susceptible to many diseases, among which a special place is occupied by benign tumors of the thyroid gland. How to recognize a neoplasm? Consider the causes, methods of diagnosis and treatment.
Preconditions for emergence
It is known for certain that there are a lot of reasons for the formation of benign tumors of the thyroid gland. The main ones are as follows:
- Iodine deficiency, which affects people who live far from the sea or do not consume enough iodine with food.
- Unfavorable living conditions, which include life in large metropolitan areas with a high level of gas pollution.
- Working at a harmful enterprise.
- Radioactive exposure.
- Exposure to mercury vapor.
- Bad habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol.
- Stress, depression, constant increased emotional stress.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Sharp hormonal changes that a woman undergoes during pregnancy or menopause.
It is also known that women are the most susceptible to the occurrence of benign neoplasms, since they have a more complex hormonal background. Also at risk are women over the age of 30 due to natural hormonal changes in the body. Cases among men and children are quite rare.
Varieties of benign tumors
Most of the patients who have problems with the thyroid gland are faced with benign neoplasms. They can be as follows:
- Follicular adenoma of the thyroid gland. The disease is characterized by the appearance in the gland of small nodules that disrupt the production of hormones by the body.
- Papillary adenoma is characterized by neoplasms on the gland in the form of small papillae.
- Toxic adenoma, or toxic goiter.
- Cysts that may occur as a result of past inflammatory diseases.
All these diseases are curable, especially in the early stages. At the same time, in the absence of adequate treatment of benign thyroid tumors, there is a riskmalignancy of the neoplasm. The most common among the tumors described above is follicular adenoma.
Symptoms
Depending on the type of tumor, its manifestations may differ or even be blurry and indistinct. However, there are common symptoms of a benign thyroid tumor, which can be suspected of the development of the disease:
- Visual changes in the contours of the neck, which may include protrusion of the gland on one or both sides, nodes that are noticeable on palpation.
- Feeling of constriction in the throat, discomfort when swallowing food.
- Chronic sore throat.
- Cough.
- Impaired breathing.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Changes in voice such as hoarseness or constant hoarseness.
- Puffiness of the neck.
- A sharp increase or decrease in body weight.
- Irregular menstruation.
- Weakness and fatigue.
- Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Excessive sweating.
- Cramps in the limbs.
- Tachycardia.
- Regular headaches and dizziness.
The abundance of possible symptoms of a benign thyroid tumor in women or men does not mean at all that when a pathology occurs, a person experiences them all. Often the reason to suspect the disease is just a few of the symptoms described above.
Diagnostic Methods
Tyroid diseases are treated by doctors-endocrinologists. They also diagnose such pathologies. The study begins with the collection of an anamnesis and information about the symptoms, a visual examination of the patient, palpation of the neck, as well as the appointment of the following diagnostic methods:
- Blood test.
- Analysis for hormones produced by the thyroid gland.
- Ultrasound to determine the location of the tumor, as well as its boundaries.
- MRI or CT for more information about the nature of the tumor.
- Scintigraphy, which is necessary to assess the level of thyroid function.
A photo of a benign thyroid tumor obtained with the help of MRI or ultrasound today helps to determine its belonging to a specific type of neoplasm, which further determines the tactics of treatment.
Drug therapy
The difference between benign and malignant tumors of the thyroid gland lies in the fact that a cancerous tumor is capable of forming metastases that are carried by the blood and lymph flow, affecting organs in its path. A benign tumor does not have such properties, however, it significantly worsens the quality of life of a sick person. At the initial stages of the disease, drug therapy can completely suppress the development of the neoplasm and restore the impaired functions of the organ.
For these purposes, iodine-based preparations are used, if the disease is caused by its lack, hormone therapy, anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamin complexes to increaseimmunity level. Usually, drug treatment lasts from 1 to 6 months, after which its effectiveness is evaluated, according to doctors and patients, it is about 80%. If there is no positive dynamics, then the patient is registered with the oncology dispensary and other types of treatment for benign tumors of the thyroid gland are applied to him.
Surgical treatment
When choosing a method of treating benign neoplasms, doctors start from many factors, such as the degree of damage to the organ. In most cases, when a benign tumor of the thyroid gland is removed, part of the organ remains in place and continues to function, which saves a person from taking hormone replacement drugs for life. With this method of treatment, only the affected part is removed, while trying to preserve he althy gland tissues as much as possible.
When more than 70% of the organ is affected, complete removal of the thyroid gland is considered appropriate. In this case, the patient will need to take drugs containing hormones that are normally produced by the thyroid gland for life.
Forecast
In most cases, benign thyroid tumors are successfully treated conservatively. Doctors resort to complete or partial resection of the thyroid gland in extreme cases - when its size exceeds 70% of the size of the organ or there is a risk of its malignancy.
However, even if the problem is successfully solved by medication, the patient is obliged to undergoroutine check-up, as thyroid problems may recur.
Treatment with folk remedies
Therapy with herbs cannot be considered the main one, but there is a place as an additional treatment. For this, decoctions and infusions from such medicinal plants are used:
- Icelandic cetraria;
- gorse dyeing;
- common oxen;
- common bruise;
- comfrey.
These plants have the function of suppressing the thyroid gland and reduce the amount of hormones produced. This is useful if, in the presence of a tumor, the thyroid gland produces an increased amount of hormones.
Some of these herbs are toxic, so their use can only take place after consulting the attending physician and indicating to them the acceptable dosages of medicines.
In this case, there are 2 main ways of cooking - infusion and brewing. To prepare according to the first method, some of the dried and crushed raw materials must be poured with boiling water and infused for an hour. After cooling, the medicine is ready for use. To prepare decoctions, it is necessary to boil medicinal herbs for 15-20 minutes.
Prevention
Symptoms of benign tumors can be so subtle that a person may not be aware of their presence. In order not to miss the development of the disease, after 30 years it is important to visit annuallyendocrinologist for preventive purposes and take a blood test for biochemistry and hormones. It is also recommended to reduce the number of factors that provoke the growth of tumors, as much as possible in modern conditions. For example, stop smoking and drinking alcohol, change jobs if it is associated with harmful emissions, spend more time in the fresh air.
