What should I pay attention to if I have an enlarged thyroid gland?

An enlarged thyroid gland is a very common disease and is not a serious condition. The main reason is the lack of iodine, so diet is very important. If you want to prevent goiter or have already suffered from the disease, you need to pay special attention to your diet. So, what are the precautions for goiter? Now, I will tell you about it, and I hope you can remember it and not make mistakes.

Treatment principles

The clinical manifestations of patients with simple goiter vary greatly in severity, so the treatment plan should be individualized. Because the thyroid function of simple goiter is normal, no treatment is required unless the patient has cosmetic requirements or there is compression or even suspected tumor, in which case radioactive 131I therapy or surgical treatment is adopted.

No treatment, clinical follow-up

Many patients with simple goiter have slowly growing goiter, no local symptoms, and normal thyroid function. They do not need special treatment, but only need close clinical follow-up, regular physical examinations, and B-ultrasound examinations. In addition, serum TSH levels should be tested regularly to detect subclinical hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism early. If obvious goitrogenic factors are present, they should be removed.

Why does improper diet lead to thyroid enlargement?

1. Potatoes. Professionals say that potatoes contain a large amount of cyanide cyanate, which will produce thiocyanate after people eat them. This will prevent the body from absorbing iodine. If iodine is often deficient, it will easily lead to thyroid enlargement.

2. Radish. Radishes contain substances that can easily cause thyroid enlargement, mainly thiourea substances, so you should not eat too much radish in your life.

3. Cabbage. Cabbage also contains a large amount of cyanide, which will affect the oxidation of iodide, so that the body's need for thyroid hormones cannot be met, and then cause compensatory enlargement of the thyroid gland.

4. Soybeans. We know that if we eat too much soybeans, the frequency of bowel movements will increase, and the loss of thyroid hormone will increase. If there is too little thyroid hormone in the body, it will cause thyroid enlargement. At this time, if you start eating less soy, the goiter will disappear on its own.

Avoid irritants. Avoid dairy products for at least three months, and also avoid stimulants, coffee, tea, nicotine, soda, etc. The substances contained in stinky tofu will aggravate the condition, so patients with hyperthyroidism should eat it with caution.

In terms of diet, you should not eat too much spicy food, try to eat light food, and try not to eat iodine-containing foods, such as: marine fish, shrimp, kelp, seaweed and other seafood

If you want to prevent goiter, you should not be picky about food. Patients should not overwork themselves during the illness and should usually stay in bed to rest. Avoid activity within one to two hours after a meal. You should do proper exercise in your daily life. Your mentality is also very important. Maintaining a happy mood will help improve your condition. I hope everyone can recover soon!