Medizines

Goitre is the swelling of thyroid gland and appears on the back a person's neck. Medical Research suggests that women are more prone to Goitre than men. The common cause of Goitre is deficiency of iodine in the diet. Iodine in its organic form is required by the thyroid gland in its secretion.

Take Iodine in its organic form. Eat foods like turnips, carrots, garlic, pineapples, whole rice, tomatoes, watercress, strawberries, guavas; lettuce, onions, oats, citrus fruits, egg yolks, seafoods, etc should be taken in ample amounts.

Goiters of all types will regress with treatment of the underlying condition. Dietary iodine may be all that is needed. However, if an iodine deficient thyroid that has grown in size to accommodate its deficiency is suddenly supplied an adequate amount of iodine, it could suddenly make large amounts of thyroxin and cause a thyroid storm, the equivalent of racing your car motor at top speed. Hyperthyroidism can be treated with medications, therapeutic doses of radioactive iodine, or surgical reduction. Surgery is much less common now than it used to be because of progress in drugs and radiotherapy.

Radioactive iodine. In some cases, radioactive iodine is used to treat an overactive thyroid gland. The radioactive iodine is taken orally and reaches your thyroid gland through your bloodstream, destroying thyroid cells. The treatment results in diminished size of the goiter but eventually may also cause an underactive thyroid gland. Hormone replacement with the synthetic thyroid hormone levothyroxine then becomes necessary, usually for life.

The best treatment for a goiter is a subtotal thyroidectomy. This is an operation in which most of the thyroid gland is removed. There are some research studies suggesting that putting a patient on a thyroid hormone pill everyday may help to shrink goiters or keep them from growing. However, there are other studies suggesting that this may not work. There are also studies suggesting that even a mild overdose of thyroid hormone, if taken for many years, can result in osteoporosis and may put older individuals at risk for abnormal heart rhythms.

A physical examination usually reveals redness and swelling of blood vessels in the conjunctiva. The doctor may take a specimen of conjunctival scrapings to determine if the conjunctivitis is bacterial, viral or caused by other sources, such as allergies or chemicals.

Make a smooth paste using little water and watercress seeds and apply it on the goiter swelling. Watercress is an excellent source if iodine and when taken internally will also help reduce goiter symptoms.

Goitre, also known, as bronchocele is a term applied to the swelling on the front of the neck caused by the enlargement of the thyroid gland. It is caused by deficiency of iodine in the diet. It is an endemic disease prevalent in the hill districts of the country. The growth of the thyroid gland is generally unattended by pain but if the goiter becomes large it may cause hoarseness. Too enlarged a goiter interferes with breathing and capacity to swallow.

Another best way to get rid of thyroid malfunctioning is go for fasting. Keep yourself on fruits and vegetable juices. After couple of weeks, start with light but nutritious diet. Some of the Ayurvedic herbs like 'Kanchanar' have been used in Ayurvedic science since years to treat thyroid related problems. For this, one can go for its leaves or can take any patent medicines containing the herb. It is also used as a natural cure for goiter.By Peter Hutch