Is it okay to leave thyroid nodules untreated? The complications are very serious

If thyroid nodules are not treated early, they will cause many complications, such as diabetes, cirrhosis, and cardiovascular disease. Traditional Chinese medicine can be used to treat thyroid nodules, but patients must persist in the treatment process. Through reasonable treatment, they will be able to recover as soon as possible.

1. Complications of thyroid nodules

If thyroid nodules are not treated promptly or are treated improperly, they may cause serious complications such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, renal tubular acidosis, and liver disease.

2. TCM treatment of thyroid nodules:

From the etiology and pathogenesis of goiter, it can be seen that phlegm stagnation, qi stagnation and blood stasis are the key points in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The pathological changes of thyroid disease are a dynamic process. With the transformation of the pathogenesis, it has different pathological characteristics in different stages of the disease. Therefore, in treatment, appropriate treatment methods and medications should be used according to different pathogenesis.

(1) Phlegm stagnation: Ancient doctors believed that goiter was mostly caused by phlegm, and drugs that could resolve phlegm, soften hard masses, eliminate goiter and disperse nodules were the main drugs used by ancient doctors to treat goiter. Seaweed, kelp, kelp, Fritillaria thunbergii, Prunella vulgaris, Pinellia ternata, etc. were commonly used, such as Seaweed Pills, Kelp Pills, Seaweed Jade Pot Pills, etc. "Shennong's Herbal Classic" proposes that seaweed "cures galls and tumors", and "Bencao Jingshu" records that kelp "can cure galls as hard as stones, and can only be cured by this, as salt can soften the hard tumors." Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty first talked about the use of seaweed and kelp to treat goiter in his "Zuohoufang". In the "Qian Jin Yao Fang" written by Sun Simiao in the Tang Dynasty, many special prescriptions and medicines are recorded, such as seaweed, kelp, and sheep's cheeks for treating goiters.

(2) Qi stagnation: Long-term anger or excessive worry can cause liver qi to fail to flow freely, resulting in qi stagnation and phlegm accumulation in the neck, which leads to goiter. This is another important cause of goiter. Therefore, doctors in all dynasties have selected prescriptions and medicines based on soothing the liver and regulating qi, eliminating goiters and dispersing nodules as another major method for treating goiter. For example, dried tangerine peel is used in the prescription for treating goiter and fine qi in Master Shen's "Wai Tai Mi Yao"; green peel is used in the "Huoxue San Ying Tang" and "Haizao Yuhu Tang" in "Shou Zhengzong" to treat "depression hurts the liver, worry hurts the spleen", and the "Shiquan Liuqi Yin" for "qi goiter" contains many liver-soothing and qi-regulating drugs such as Atractylodes lancea, dried tangerine peel, Cyperus rotundus, costus root, green peel, etc.

(3) Blood stasis: When phlegm accumulates and qi stagnates for a long time, the blood circulation is blocked and blood stasis occurs. This can cause the goiter to become hard or have nodules, and the swelling will not disappear for a long time. The Haizao Yuhu Decoction in "The Authentic Book of Surgery" is the main prescription for treating goiter of the phlegm and blood stasis type. The angelica and Chuanxiong in the formula nourish blood and promote blood circulation, and together with seaweed, kelp, green peel, tangerine peel and other qi-regulating and phlegm-resolving drugs, they play the role of regulating qi and resolving phlegm, promoting blood circulation and eliminating goiter.