Goiter is a disease that causes enlargement of the thyroid gland and is characterized by the enlargement of the gland which results in swelling on the front of the neck. There are two types of goiter; simple goiter and toxic goiter. Simple goiter is characterized by an enlargement of the entire gland or one of its two lobes and is caused by deficiency of iodine in the diet. Toxic goiter usually present symptoms of thyrotoxicosis such as palpitations, hyperactivity, weight loss despite of improved appetite and tolerance to heat. While most goiter cases presents symptoms of neck mass, difficulty in breathing and swallowing.

Some foods and drugs contain Goiter-producing substances known as goitrogens. When these foods are eaten or the drugs are taken for the treatment of other conditions, they inhibit the synthesis of thyroxine thereby resulting in goiter. Goiter is the swelling of the thyroid gland which commonly occurs in women. It may follow the development of benign nodules or in rare cases may be triggered by benign or malignant tumors or an iodine deficiency. Some people develop goiter as a result of taking certain drugs, especially those that are used to treat manic-depressive states and diabetes.

This disease, an autoimmune disorder, is the most common cause of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). In Graves' disease, antibodies produced by your immune system stimulate the thyroid to produce too much thyroxine. Normally, your immune system uses antibodies to help protect against viruses, bacteria and other foreign substances that invade the body.

Thyroid cancer can also cause goiter, however, thyroid cancer is relatively rare. Pregnant women can also develop a goiter during pregnancy due to the release of certain hormones; however, this is typically a small enlargement and often goes away a short time after giving birth.

Radioactive iodine is used to treat an overactive thyroid gland. It can be taken orally entering the bloodstream to target malignant thyroid cells for death. This treatment can significantly reduce the appearance of a goiter but in some cases can cause an underactive thyroid gland. When this special iodine solution reaches the patient's bloodstream, it is absorbed by the thyroid - thereby destroying the thyroid cells. While this treatment often works as planned, destroying the thyroid gland, it can also result in an underactive thyroid.

Although an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter) may not disturb the functioning of the body, yet due to its enlarged weight/ size, it may press the underlying trachea (windpipe) or oesophagus (food-pipe), so that the patient may have some difficulty in breathing as well as in swallowing. Goiter can only be properly managed if the actual cause is known otherwise treatment may provoke further complications. An attempt to reduce the hyperplasia may lead to a suppression of the function of the thyroid gland, and haemorrhage may occur and increase its size further.

Thyroid disorders are caused by an inadequate intake of iodine, resulting in insufficient thyroxin production, or a disorder elsewhere in the body that requires more thyroxin than the gland can manufacture. Goiter may be caused by a iodine deficiency in the diet, inflammation of the thyroid gland due to infection, or under- or overproduction of thyroxin by the thyroid gland. An overproduction of thyroid hormone as in hyperthyroidism can also cause goiters. Graves' disease, where antibodies created by the immune system instead attack your thyroid gland, the result will be an overproduction of T4 or thyroxine. This causes the thyroid gland to become enlarged.

Goiter due to hyperthyroidism (or an overactive thyroid) can promote sweating, making your body more hospitable to odor causing bacteria.


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