The left side of the neck is swollen

If a person's skin is too fair, you will find that there are actually many meridians on the human neck. Moreover, the role played by these tendons and veins in the human body is also very important. The lack of any meridian will affect a person's life. There are meridians on both sides of the human neck, but some people find that the meridians on the left side of their neck are swollen in sharp contrast to the right side. What disease causes this?

Clinical manifestations

1. Enlarged thyroid gland or neck lump Enlarged thyroid gland is a characteristic clinical manifestation of non-toxic goiter. Patients often complain of a thickening of the neck or a tight collar. The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck. Once it is enlarged, it can be easily discovered by the patient or his family. Sometimes the goiter can extend downward into the chest cavity, which may be caused by negative pressure in the chest cavity and the weight of the tumor. Occasionally, the goiter occurs in the aberrant thyroid tissue. In the early stage of the disease, there is diffuse thyroid enlargement. Physical examination shows that the enlarged thyroid has a smooth surface, is soft in texture, moves up and down with swallowing, and has no tremor or vascular murmur. As the disease progresses, thyroid nodular enlargement gradually appears. It is generally asymmetric and multi-nodular. Multiple nodules may gather together, appearing as a lump in the neck. The nodules vary in size, texture, and location. Goiter is generally painless, but pain may occur if there is bleeding within the nodule. If a physical examination reveals that the thyroid nodules are hard and have poor mobility, you should be alert to the possibility of malignancy.

2. Compression symptoms Compression symptoms are the most important clinical manifestation of non-toxic goiter. Compression symptoms appear in the late stage of the disease, but compression symptoms may appear in the early stage of retrosternal goiter.

(1) Tracheal compression: Mild tracheal compression usually causes no symptoms, while severe compression can cause wheezing, dyspnea, and cough. The wheezing and dyspnea caused by a retrosternal goiter often occur at night and may occur with changes in body position (such as when the patient raises his or her arms).

(2) Compression of the esophagus. The esophagus is located relatively far back and is generally not easily compressed. If a goiter grows backward and surrounds the esophagus, it may compress the esophagus and cause difficulty or dysphagia.

(3) Compression of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Simple goiter rarely compresses the recurrent laryngeal nerve unless it is combined with a malignant thyroid tumor. Tumor infiltration of one side of the recurrent laryngeal nerve may cause vocal cord paralysis and hoarseness. Involvement of both sides of the recurrent laryngeal nerve may also cause dyspnea. When symptoms of recurrent laryngeal nerve compression appear, be highly alert to the possibility of malignant transformation.

(4) Compression of blood vessels by giant goiters, especially retrosternal goiters, can compress the jugular vein, subclavian vein, and even superior vena cava, causing facial edema and dilation of superficial veins in the neck and upper chest.

(5) Compression of the phrenic nerve. A retrosternal goiter can compress the phrenic nerve, causing hiccups and diaphragmatic swelling. Compression of the phrenic nerve is less common.

(6) Compression of the cervical sympathetic nerve chain: Substernal goiter can compress the cervical sympathetic nerve chain and cause Horners syndrome.