What Are the Causes of Thyroid Enlargement and How to Treat It?

Thyroid enlargement is related to congenital thyroid synthesis defects, iodine deficiency and iodine excess leading to iodine deficiency, and substances causing thyroid swelling.

Thyroid glands require the catalytic action of various special enzymes during the synthesis process to complete.

These are the main causes of endemic thyroid swelling, which is more common in inland and mountainous areas far away from the ocean and at high altitudes. Factors such as puberty, pregnancy, lactation, menopause, mental stimulation, and trauma can increase the need for thyroxine, resulting in relative iodine deficiency. When the environment is iodine-deficient and the concentration of inorganic iodine in the blood decreases, the thyroid tissue proliferates and enhances its iodine-capturing function, trying to absorb enough iodine from the blood under low-iodine conditions to ensure sufficient thyroid synthesis and supply the physiological needs of the body tissues.

Some foods may be related to thyroid swelling. Long-term consumption of large amounts of cabbage can cause thyroid swelling. Some studies have found that organic cyanides in cabbage can affect the oxidation of iodide, affecting thyroid synthesis and subsequently causing compensatory enlargement of the thyroid. Cassava can also cause thyroid swelling because it contains cyanogenic glycosides, which produce thiocyanate after consumption and prevent the thyroid from absorbing iodine.