What causes swelling in the neck?

Swelling of the neck may be caused by thyroid disease, the most common of which are hyperthyroidism, nodular thyroid, hypothyroidism, etc. These diseases can cause swelling of the neck, so friends should pay close attention to it. If the swelling of the neck is caused by hyperthyroidism, the patient can adjust the intake of iodized salt and eat non-iodized salt, because friends in coastal areas are very prone to this disease due to excessive intake of iodine, and try to eat less seafood in the diet.

What are the causes of thyroid enlargement? There are many thyroid diseases that can cause thyroid enlargement. Common ones include hypothyroidism, nodular goiter, and hyperthyroidism, etc., which may all cause thyroid enlargement. The degree of thyroid enlargement can be divided into: first degree enlargement, which cannot be seen by the naked eye but can be felt; second degree enlargement, which can be seen and touched by hand; third degree enlargement, which is more serious.

Why does the neck swell? It is related to the following factors:

1. The body's need for thyroid hormone increases, but the body's iodine is insufficient. When the human body environment is insufficient in iodine, the concentration of inorganic iodine in the blood will also decrease, and the thyroid tissue will proliferate to enhance the iodine uptake function. As much as possible, the thyroid gland can absorb enough iodine from the blood under the condition of iodine deficiency, thereby ensuring the synthesis of thyroid hormones needed by the body and supplying them to various tissues of the body.

2. Due to some congenital defects, it may not be possible to synthesize enough thyroid hormone. During the synthesis process of thyroid hormone, some special enzymes in the body are needed to play a catalytic role. However, some patients are born with a lack of this enzyme, resulting in insufficient thyroid hormone synthesis.

3. In our daily lives, some of the foods we eat contain substances that can cause goiter. If you eat a lot of cabbage for a long time, it may cause enlargement of the thyroid gland. Studies have found that cabbage contains an organic cyanide that can affect the oxidation of iodide, thereby affecting the synthesis of thyroid hormones to a certain extent, leading to thyroid enlargement.

4. Insufficient iodine in the body and excessive iodine intake can lead to thyroid enlargement: Iodine deficiency is the main factor causing endemic thyroid enlargement, which is more common in plateaus and mountainous areas. Excess iodine can also cause thyroid enlargement, which is common in some coastal areas.