What Is a Goiter?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Agoiteris an abnormally enlargedthyroid gland. A normal thyroid gland is not visible from the outside. The main goiter symptom is a thyroid enlarged enough to see or feel a neck lump or bulge, indicating a health condition affecting the thyroid.

Common goiter causes includehyperthyroidism(high thyroid function) orhypothyroidism(low thyroid function).Possible causes also include Graves’ disease,Hashimoto’sdisease, and thyroid nodules. A goiter can be treated and in some (though not all) cases, a goiter can go away.

This article explains the causes of a goiter and how it is diagnosed and treated with medication, although other interventions including surgery may be needed.

An autoimmune attack on the thyroid can cause a goiter.

Goiter Symptoms

In some cases, a goiter may not be visible and may cause no symptoms at all. When goiter symptoms are present, they can include:

Symptoms ofhypothyroidism or hyperthyroidismmay also accompany the goiter. People with excessive thyroid function may experience anxiety, a fast heartbeat, and sweating. People with low thyroid function may become depressed, gain weight, and often feel cold or fatigued.

Substernal Goiter

What Causes Goiters?

A goiter can occur for a number of reasons, including:

What Is a Hypoechoic Thyroid Nodule?

Risk Factors

Some people are more at risk for goiter than others. It is more common in females than in males. It also is more common after age 40.

Can Medications Cause a Goiter?Some medications can contribute to thyroid changes that can lead to a goiter. They include birth control pills,lithiumused to treat certain mental health conditions, and the heart arrhythmia drug Cordarone (amiodarone).

Can Medications Cause a Goiter?

Some medications can contribute to thyroid changes that can lead to a goiter. They include birth control pills,lithiumused to treat certain mental health conditions, and the heart arrhythmia drug Cordarone (amiodarone).

Diagnosing a Goiter

Your doctor may detect a goiter visually or manually during a clinical examination.

Getting an accurate diagnosis may also require:

Thyroid Function Tests and Normal Ranges

Goiter Treatment

If you have a small goiter with no symptoms and no other underlying thyroid disease, your doctor may recommend periodic monitoring with no treatment. In most cases, however, treatment is necessary and tailored to the underlying cause of the goiter.

Treatments include:

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Summary

Once the underlying reason for a goiter is identified, your healthcare provider can treat the condition with medication. In some cases, surgery or radioactive iodine may be needed.

A thyroid condition is treatable but it often requires lifelong medical care. Talk with your healthcare provider about your goiter symptoms and what to expect with your diagnosis.

How to Take Thyroid Medication Including Levothyroxine

9 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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American Thyroid Association.Goiter.

Yale Medicine.Goiter Fact Sheet.

Bastien AJ, Ho AS.Surgical Management of Substernal Thyroid Goiters.Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2024 Feb;57(1):39-52. doi: 10.1016/j.otc.2023.07.008.

Zheng L, Yan W, Kong Y, Liang P, Mu Y.An epidemiological study of risk factors of thyroid nodule and goiter in Chinese women.Int J Clin Exp Med. 2015;8(7):11379-87.

Wiersinga WM, Poppe KG, Effraimidis G.Hyperthyroidism: aetiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, management, complications, and prognosis.Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2023 Apr;11(4):282-298. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(23)00005-0.

Sawin CT, Cooper DS.The Origin of Antithyroid Drugs.Thyroid. 2023 Dec;33(12):1395-1401. doi: 10.1089/thy.2022.0410.

Chaker L, Cooper DS, Walsh JP, Peeters RP.Hyperthyroidism.Lancet. 2024 Feb 24;403(10428):768-780. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02016-0.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office on Women’s Health.Thyroid Disease. https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/thyroid-disease

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