What is a Thyroid Nodule?
Thyroid nodules are very common. A nodule is a swelling or lump, which can be a solid or liquid filled cyst or mass. Most are benign, but a small percentage can be cancerous. So you should always have a nodule evaluated by your physician as soon as you notice it. Symptoms of a nodule can be varied. Some people have hyperthyroidism symptoms — such as palpitations, insomnia, weight loss, anxiety, and tremors — and others have hypothyroidism symptoms — weight gain, fatigue, depression. Some will cycle back and forth between hyperthyroid and hypothyroid symptoms. Some people mainly have difficulty swallowing, a feeling of fullness, pain or pressure in the neck, a hoarse voice, or neck tenderness. And finally, many people have nodules wiht no obvious symptoms related to thyroid dysfunction at all. If you have a thyroid nodule, don’t be very worried that it is cancerous. Only 5% of nodules are cancerous, and most forms of thyroid cancers are highly treatable and curable.
