Thyroid Nodules
A thyroid nodule is a swelling in one section of the thyroid gland that can be solid or filled with fluid or blood. You can have one thyroid nodule or many. Your thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland found just below your Adam's apple. The thyroid helps set your metabolism - how your body gets energy from the foods you eat.
Most thyroid nodules do not cause symptoms. But some thyroid nodules make too much of the thyroid hormones, causing hyperthyroidism. Sometimes, nodules get to be big enough to cause problems with swallowing or breathing. In fewer than 10 percent of cases, thyroid nodules are cancerous.
Thyroid nodules are quite common. By the time you reach the age of 50, you have a 50 percent chance of having a thyroid nodule larger than a half inch wide. We do not know why nodules form in otherwise normal thyroids.
You Can Sometimes See or Feel a Thyroid Nodule Yourself
- Stand in front of a mirror and raise your chin slightly
- Look for a bump on either side of your windpipe below your Adam's apple
- If the bump moves up and down when you swallow, it may be a thyroid nodule