A lump in the throat and thyroid gland disorders

Some people experience having nodules growing on the edge or inside their thyroid glands. This results in discomfort and can potentially lead to different problems. Moreover, if a person is thin in the neck area, the nodules can be clearly visible resulting in noticeable lumps appearing on the neck.

Nodules in the Thyroid Gland

This problem is quite frequent among women and one in every 12 women has nodules in her thyroid gland. As for men, one in every 40 men has nodules in his thyroid gland. In most cases, these nodules are benign growths, meaning that they do not progress into cancer or cause any health problem. Moreover, some of these nodules may simply be cysts filled with fluid rather than solid growths.

Interestingly enough, most of these problems take place before the age of 50 and the closer you are to this age, the greater the chances of developing thyroid nodules are. Thus, considering people who are 50 years old, half of them will have at least one thyroid nodule. As for the age of 60, 60% of people will have at least one thyroid nodule. Finally, at the age of 70, 70% of people are likely to have at least one nodule in their thyroid gland.

Facts about Nodules in the Thyroid Gland

A nodule in the thyroid gland is, usually, nothing more but a tissue growth which seems to be abnormal. Sometimes, the nodule may be located within the thyroid gland, even though it appeared to be on the surface beforehand. Then, this condition is called a goiter.

Fine needle biopsy is a procedure done in order to see whether the nodule is cancerous or not. Ultrasound is necessary for the completion of tests as well. If the thyroid nodule appears to be malignant, or seems to be obstructing normal functioning of the throat or the thyroid gland, it needs to be surgically removed.

All in all, know that vast majority of these nodules are benign. Usually, people are not even aware of these growths and they are identified accidentally, during CT scans, MRI or other such procedures. Nevertheless, if you feel bothered by the thyroid nodule, seek medical assistance and see what can be done in order to ease your problems. Many people believe that radiation exposure can lead to thyroid cancer. This is true, in some cases. Nevertheless, it takes about 20 years for the cancer to develop and the radiation exposure needs to be quite high.