What are the early symptoms of goiter?

Goiter is clinically known as goiter, which is a common thyroid disease. The early symptoms of goiter are relatively obvious, with noticeable lumps, and may also cause patients to experience difficulty swallowing. This condition should be treated as soon as possible.

1. In the early stage of thyroid enlargement, only a hard, painless lump appears in the anterior neck area. The surface is uneven, the lump grows rapidly, and it does not move much up and down when swallowing. Subsequently, cervical lymph node metastasis occurs, and compression symptoms may appear, such as difficulty breathing, swallowing obstruction, and hoarseness.

2. The initial symptom of goiter is a small lump on the neck, but it grows very slowly and is usually solitary. It has a comprehensive capsule and is clearly demarcated from the surrounding normal tissues. There is no pain or tenderness. The nodule is of medium hard texture, smooth surface, non-adhesive to the surrounding area, and can move up and down with swallowing.

3. The neck becomes thicker and the texture is generally soft. When the swelling is obvious, the mass in the front of the neck may protrude forward and fall or compress backward, causing shortness of breath or even dyspnea, or also cause a feeling of choking when swallowing; in the case of nodular type, the size and hardness of the nodules may be uneven, and some nodules are harder; there are generally no systemic symptoms, and there is a history of local epidemics.

4. Patients with goiter should first determine the extent of their pain. Severe pain is usually caused by various thyroid inflammations, such as acute suppurative thyroiditis and subacute thyroiditis, both of which require timely treatment. Mild pain is not special because a variety of thyroid diseases may cause this symptom and it needs to be diagnosed through formal examination, so it is best to see a doctor in time.