There’s a variety of disorders that can affect a person’s normal bodily functions, and controlling them is what allows people to lead a normal life. When every organ in our body performs functions as instructed by the brain, everything works just fine. However, a faulty functioning gland can create a lot of health-related problems, like weight-gain, weight-loss, intolerance towards certain substances, etc. The most common gland-related problem that affects 3 in every 5 Americans is the thyroid-related problems.

The malfunctioning of the thyroid gland results in either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, each of the condition caused by the less secretion and oversecretion of the thyroid hormone respectively.

What causes the appearance of nodules on thyroid?

• The actual cause of the appearance on thyroid remains unknown. However, studies indicate that the nodule on thyroid is the result of being exposed to some kind of radiation.
• Like hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism runs in the family, thyroid nodules can also be hereditary. If the individual’s parents or someone in the family have it, it can be passed on from one generation to next.

What are the symptoms caused by the appearance of nodules on thyroid?
Usually, these nodules on the thyroid are harmless, and people might never know that they have nodules on the thyroid gland. These nodules vary in sizes and bigger the nodules that appear on the thyroid gland, the more trouble it can cause. The following symptoms accompany bigger thyroid nodules.

• The nodules on the thyroid might cause pain in the throat.
• The bigger the nodules on the thyroid gland, the more troubles the individual will have swallowing food.
• The nodules on the thyroid gland can increase or decrease the production of the thyroid hormone, and in such cases, it replicates the symptoms of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
• People who have bigger nodules on the thyroid gland are known to have trouble breathing.

How are thyroid nodules diagnosed?
When a person shows the symptoms mentioned above, the doctor might ask the individual to undergo few tests to confirm the presence of nodules on thyroid. Usually, these nodules on thyroids are quite harmless, but there are instances when it turned out be cancerous. In order to check the nature of the nodules on thyroid, the doctor will advise the individual to undergo a thyroid scan or thyroid ultrasound, just to be on the safe side.

Though these nodules on the thyroid gland are harmless, timely detection and treatment will keep other problems associated with it at bay.