Many people have an enlarged thyroid gland. In some cases, such a pathology does not pose any danger, but most often endocrinologists diagnose a multinodular goiter. It occurs due to poor ecology and lack of iodine in the body. The nodes are most often benign, but sometimes they can degenerate into a malignant tumor, which is removed surgically. In this article, we will analyze what a multinodular thyroid goiter is. Treatment, feedback will also be considered.
Description of the disease
Due to insufficient iodine content in food and water, thyroid-stimulating hormones begin to be produced by the thyroid gland in large quantities, since the organ itself is not able to produce the required amount of its own hormones.
Tyrotropic hormones produced by the pituitary gland provoke the growth of gland cells,resulting in a rapid increase. As soon as the need for these special substances begins to decrease, the accumulated colloid in the tissues of the organ leads to the formation of large follicles. Outwardly, this resembles a large goiter, which is visible to the naked eye and can often be felt by the patient himself.
After a certain amount of time, the body restarts the production of thyroid hormones, and the thyroid goiter continues to grow.
Disease types
Multinodular goiter of the thyroid gland is of three types:
- nodal - it is diagnosed in case of an uneven increase in the organ, which occurs due to its excessive activity;
- diffuse - in this case, the gland tissue grows evenly due to a decrease in its secretory function;
- mixed - rare, while the organ has an uneven increase, but some areas retain their uniformity.
If more than two nodes are found, exceeding 1 cm in diameter, a thyroid puncture is prescribed. Most often they are benign. Basically, these neoplasms have no effect on its function, and such a disease is called "multinodular euthyroid goiter". Only in 5% of cases, the nodes can be malignant.
In our country, multinodular toxic goiter occurs in 12% of the population, and women suffer from it more often than men. With age, the likelihood of developing this pathology increases, and morein total it is detected at the age of 45-60.
Although the presence of nodes in the thyroid gland does not affect the functioning of this organ, the disease still needs to be treated. There are situations when inattention to the problem can be life-threatening.
Causes of disease
The exact causes of multinodular goiter are not fully understood, but doctors say with confidence that it is the lack of iodine that largely provokes this disease.
Other factors contributing to the formation of this pathology are:
- malfunctions of the central nervous system;
- psychological overstrain;
- humoral immunity suppression;
- harmful working conditions;
- long-term use of certain medications;
- genetic predisposition to the occurrence of this disease;
- diseases of the liver and digestive system;
- adaptation overload;
- exposure to radiation;
- frequent inflammation in the thyroid gland;
- malnutrition.
Symptoms
A person may not know that he has a multinodular goiter, the symptoms of which at an early stage may not manifest themselves in any way and cause no discomfort to the patient. While the nodes are small, about 2 cm in diameter, it is quite difficult to see them with the naked eye, so they are often found on ultrasound during a routine examination.
If this problem is left unattended, hyperthyroidism may develop after a while. sickexcessive sweating, irritability begins to disturb, tachycardia occurs, pressure rises, general well-being worsens. There may be tingling in the region of the heart, appetite increases, a person is thirsty all the time, he begins to lose weight. Trembling of the fingers, tongue and whole body is noted. At night, the sick are unbearably hot, they begin to experience fear and anxiety. These symptoms lead to decreased sex drive.
Sometimes a multinodular toxic goiter can grow so much that it begins to compress nearby organs. The patient's voice changes, it becomes difficult for him to swallow, breathe, there is a feeling of constriction or suffocation in the neck, especially in the supine position.
Diagnosis of goiter
If there is a suspicion that the patient has a multinodular goiter, then the thyroid gland is diagnosed. First, the patient is examined by a doctor, then he directs him to an ultrasound of this organ. If the nodes exceed 1 cm in diameter, then a puncture and fine-needle biopsy of these neoplasms is prescribed. Hormone testing, chest x-rays when pressure is felt, MRI and scintigraphy are also being done.
Tyroid treatment
Since at the very beginning of its development, such a disease as multinodular goiter is practically asymptomatic, after a while a person begins to feel its destructive effect. The patient loses weight sharply, there are interruptions in the heart,there is increased nervousness and severe fatigue.
If a multinodular goiter has been diagnosed, the doctor may prescribe the following treatment:
- daily intake of medicines containing iodine, the course of treatment in this case is quite long;
- injection of radioactive iodine into the diseased organ, which helps to reduce nodes.
If this treatment does not help, multinodular thyroid goiter is subjected to surgical intervention, especially if it is large.
Treatment with LITT
If conservative methods fail to stop the goiter from growing, your doctor may prescribe laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy (LITT). In this case, a light guide is inserted into the node. As a result, the protein structures of the tissues of the goiter begin to be affected by a temperature of 41-46 degrees, due to which the cells stop dividing.
The advantages of this method are that no preliminary preparation is required before the procedure, the treatment can take place without anesthesia, all thyroid functions are preserved.
But this method of treatment has contraindications:
- somatic diseases;
- severe forms of thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism;
- mental illness;
- inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.
Folk treatments
If a person is diagnosed with a multinodular goiter, treatment (reviews eloquently indicate this) with folk remedies can significantly improvepatient status. As a result, the normal production of hormones in the body is restored, and it is replenished with the necessary amount of iodine.
Every day you should eat seaweed, drink hawthorn tincture, take warm baths with sea s alt, etc. With the help of various medicinal herbs, multinodular goiter returns to normal.
The following drug charges bring the greatest effect:
- Spring adonis grass is mixed equally with peppermint, tricolor violet, oregano, medicinal calendula flowers, chamomile and cudweed. This collection is infused in hot water for two hours and taken before meals.
- Mix medicinal valerian, lemon balm, dried rowan fruits, plantain leaves, high sweet clover, levkoy icterus, common wormwood, wild strawberry leaves, yarrow, medicinal sage leaves, pour boiling water and insist. It is necessary to take the infusion every day, 15 minutes before meals.
- Mix in equal proportions medicinal calendula, wormwood, cudweed, heart-shaped linden, prickly hawthorn, narrow-leaved fireweed, chamomile flowers, rose hips, garden thyme and pour boiling water. The collection is heated in a water bath, insisted for about 2 hours, filtered and consumed several times a day.
- Combine together medicinal plants such as prickly wild rose, common melissa, chamomile, common oregano, linden heart-shaped, narrow-leaved fireweed, comfrey, azure cyanosis,large plantain and garden thyme. A small amount of the collection is crushed into powder and poured with boiling water. Drink several times a day.
Phytotherapy usually lasts 1.5-2 months, after which they take a break of several weeks.
To consolidate the result with an improvement in the condition of the thyroid gland, the following medicinal fees are recommended:
- Take equal amounts of calendula, chamomile, valerian, peppermint and wild strawberries, mix and pour boiling water. It should be insisted for 2 hours in a warm place, after which it is filtered and taken three times a day 15 minutes after meals.
- St. John's wort, narrow-leaved fireweed leaves, rose hips, common oregano, dry heart-shaped linden flowers are mixed, poured with boiling water and infused in a warm room. Strain and consume 4 times a day after meals.
Conclusion
So, we have figured out what a multinodular goiter of the thyroid gland is. Treatment (reviews of many people confirm this) is quite successful with timely access to a doctor. This dangerous disease should not be started, because it is fraught with many life-threatening complications.
