Endemic goiter is an enlarged thyroid gland of the 3rd degree. But in the presence of nodes, early forms of the disease are also called endemic goiter. Education occurs due to a lack of iodine in the body, and outwardly a person has a lump in the neck. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is an unbalanced diet, when there is an insufficient amount of meat, fish, milk, some cereals, and vegetables in the diet.
Causes of the disease
Education is divided into one-sided and two-sided. When probing, the gland may contain dense nodes or be uniform, in which case a diffuse goiter is diagnosed. The disease due to lack of iodine is affected by living in areas with poor ecology, which is observed in the Middle Urals, due to soil contamination with cadmium, lead and other chemicals. In such cases, sporadic goiter occurs more often. Zones with high levels of radiation and climatic conditions have a great influence.
Other factors that activate gland enlargement include:
- hereditary predisposition;
- taking certain medications;
- skull trauma;
- severe stress;
- infections;
- disruption of the immune system and others.
Due to malfunctions in the immune system, the thyroid gland can be perceived by the body as a foreign object. As a result of the attack by antibodies, the body gives a reaction in the form of active cell division and an increased release of hormones, which are considered poison in excess.
Symptoms
Iodine deficiency negatively affects all organs, so some symptoms may vary. The main manifestations of the disease include:
- malaise;
- discomfort in the region of the heart;
- headache;
- dry cough;
- compression of the neck, resulting in a lack of oxygen;
- violation of the act of swallowing;
- insomnia;
- irritability;
- tearfulness;
- hand tremor;
- increased sweating.
The disease is more common among schoolchildren and women, which is associated with a high need for hormones in adolescence, during pregnancy and lactation.
Complications of the course of the disease
Toxic goiter is also called – Graves’ disease . If you do not start its timely treatment, then the course of the disease can lead to serious consequences:
- gland inflammation;
- hemorrhage;
- compression of the esophagus and cardiac vessels;
- malignant education.
If cancer develops, the patient will need a mandatory operation. In childhood, iodine deficiency affects the central nervous system, mental and physical development is delayed.
Treatment
The nursing process in the treatment of goiter consists in asking the patient about the presence of the disease in relatives, previous diseases, working conditions, and medications taken. Then the patient is examined externally for symptoms and tests are prescribed: blood donation, ultrasound, scintigraphy, a test for the amount of radioactive iodine in the thyroid gland.
Treatment of a slightly enlarged goiter of the 1st degree is to eliminate iodine deficiency, it includes the use of foods and drugs rich in substance. In the diet you need to increase the amount of:
- legumes;
- seafood;
- eggs;
- champignons;
- greens;
- processed cheeses;
- dairy products;
- cod liver;
- beef and pork;
- vegetables;
- oatmeal, buckwheat.
Initially, the patient eliminates the manifestations of thyrotoxicosis, without affecting the restoration of the immune system. At the end of treatment, the actions are aimed specifically at restoring immunity. Treatment of goiter is carried out by taking thyreostatics : carbimazole , thiamozole , propylthiouracil , they destroy excess thyroid hormones. Apply reflexology, which helps to restore the function of the body.
In difficult cases, surgery or radioactive iodine therapy is used, which are aimed at the complete destruction of the gland, while the person will need to regularly take hormonal drugs: ” Eutiroks “, “L-thyroxine”.
The effectiveness of drug treatment
It takes a long time to stop the development of endemic goiter with medicines, treatment can take a year and a half, the total time of recovery procedures can reach 3 years. Thyreostatics have many contraindications, an even greater increase in goiter is possible, as well as:
- the level of leukocytes and platelets in the blood decreases;
- liver function may be impaired;
- allergies appear;
- dizziness;
- headache;
- diarrhea;
- menstrual disorders and others.
The intake of medicines is selected strictly by the doctor after passing the tests. After drug treatment, the recurrence rate is high.
Surgery or radioactive iodine
Both procedures remove endemic forms of goiter without recurrence. Methods stop the production of all hormones, including vital ones. For this reason, patients are prescribed hormonal drugs throughout their lives, long-term use of which disrupts the functioning of many organs.
Reflexology
The procedure is carried out by influencing the biologically active points of the body and restores its work. Additionally include the following procedures:
- acupuncture;
- biopuncture ;
- electropuncture.
These techniques help to avoid surgery and reduce medication intake with gradual withdrawal.
Knowing what endemic goiter is and how dangerous its consequences are, a person needs to prevent its formation.
Prevention of iodine deficiency
Prevention of thyroid disease includes:
- the use of iodized salt;
- taking drugs at a dosage appropriate for age;
- food containing substances.