GOITER (A SWELLING OR LUMP ON THE THROAT)

GOITER (A SWELLING OR LUMP ON THE THROAT)

A goiter is a swelling or big lump on the throat that results from abnormal growth of a gland called the thyroid.

Most goiters are caused by lack of iodine in the diet. Also, a lack of iodine in a pregnant woman’s diet sometimes causes babies to die or to be born mentally slow and/or deaf. This can happen even though the mother does not have goiter.

Goiter and cretinism are most common in mountain areas where there is little natural iodine in the soil, water or food. In these areas, eating a lot of certain foods like cassava makes it more likely for a person to get a goiter.

How to prevent or cure a goiter and prevent cretinism:

Everyone living in areas where people get goiters should use iodized salt. Use of iodized salt prevents the common kind of goiter and will help many goiters go away. (Old, hard goiters can only be removed by surgery, but this is usually not necessary).

If it is not possible to get iodized salt, use tincture of iodine. Put 1 drop in a glass of water each day and drink. BE CAREFUL: Too much tincture of iodine is poisonous. More than the recommended amount of 1 drop a day can make a goiter worse. Keep the bottle where children cannot reach it. Iodized salt is safer.

Most home cures for goiter do not do any good. However, eating crab and other seafood can do some good because they contain iodine. Mixing a little seaweed with food also adds iodine. But the easiest way is to use iodized salt.

Also, if you live in an area where goiters are common, or you are beginning to develop a goiter, try to avoid eating cassava or cabbage.

Note: if a person with a goiter trembles a lot, is very nervous, and has eyes that bulge out, this may be a different kind of goiter (toxic goiter). Seek medical advice

DAVID AMANGI TENDE-  tendsdavid1@gmail.com