How to Treat Thyroid Cysts

Thyroid cysts are the same as thyroid nodules or lumps. They can be solid or filled with a liquid and cancerous or benign. According to Thyroid-info.com, only 5 percent are cancerous. It's important to treat the thyroid cysts so you can be sure they are benign.

Instructions

1. Know that thyroid cysts can cause hyperthyroidism symptoms such as weight loss, insomnia, anxiety and palpitations. Others have hypothyroidism symptoms like depression, fatigue and weight gain.

2. Take thyroid hormone to shrink the nodule. The medication can also keep it from getting bigger.

3. Monitor the thyroid cyst's growth. If it gets bigger, your doctor may perform another biopsy or recommend surgery to remove it.

4. Expect your doctor to recommend surgically removing malignant cysts. He will evaluate the nodules during the procedure and decide whether to remove one of the thyroid's lobe or the entire thyroid gland. The gland is composed of two lateral lobes.

5. Begin thyroid cancer treatment if the diagnosis calls for it.

References

• Thyroid-info.com
• National Institutes of Health

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Thyroid Surgery Center of Texas: Thyroid Cysts