Do you notice any unusual swelling at the base of your neck which is painless and moves up and down when you touch it or while swallowing? Then it can be due to Goitre a type of Thyroid disorder. Though it is not serious but can lead to discomfort and here is what all you need to know about Goitre.

An abnormal enlargement or swelling of the thyroid gland is treated as Goitre. People with Goitre experience swelling in front of the neck which moves up and down when you swallow. Goitre is usually harmless, but when people experience severe swelling of the thyroid gland, this can block and narrow the trachea and lead to difficulties with swallowing and also increase their risk of breathing problems. People with Goitre tend to produce abnormal i.e too much or too little thyroid hormones. Women are comparatively at high risk of Goitre than men.

Goitre is classified into several types, like
• Diffuse smooth goitre- in this type the whole thyroid gland gets inflamed and it feels very smooth to touch
• Nodular goitre- thyroid nodules (fluid filled lumps) develops on the thyroid gland. If a single lump develops it is referred as uninodular goitre and if several lumps are found then it is termed as multi nodular goitre.
• Retrosternal goitre- in this type the lump actually develops behind the breast bone and this leads to complications by narrowing the neck veins and windpipe.

Several factors can contribute to the development of goitre like
• Hyperthyroidism
• Hypothyroidism
• Thyroiditis
• Hormonal imbalance
• Iodine deficiency
• Thyroid cancer or malignant tumors
• Undergoing radiation therapies
• Excess consumption of foods like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and others which offsets iodine
• Few medications
• Smoking
• Health illnesses like Grave’s disease and Hashimoto’s disease

Symptoms of Goitre

The major symptom of Goitre include swelling at base of your neck and the other possible symptoms include
• Difficulty swallowing and breathing
• Persistent cough
• Hoarseness in voice
• Dry skin
• Heart palpitations
• Hair loss
• Abnormal appetite
• Abnormal menstruation either early or delayed periods
• Lack of concentration
• Unusual sleeping or sleeping excessively

Homeopathy for Goitre

Homeopathy is highly recommended for Goitre, it provides relief from symptoms by restoring the harmony of our body. It treats Goitre successfully in early and mild cases, it also reduces the inflammation of Thyroidgland. Dr J Lal Homoeopathy has treated several cases of thyroid disorders especially Goitre with comparatively high success rate.