Is Your Thyroid Nodule Painful to Touch?
Concerned about thyroid discomfort? At Supreme Vascular and Interventional Clinic in Singapore, a specialized thyroid nodules clinic in Singapore, Dr. Manish Taneja, provides compassionate care for thyroid nodules that are abnormal swellings in the thyroid affecting up to 30% of adults. Learn more about symptoms, treatment, and lasting solutions.
Visit our Specialized Thyroid Nodules Clinic in Singapore
The Supreme Vascular and Interventional Clinic is here to address your concerns about discomforts in the thyroid. From pain to bulges and anxieties associated with thyroid nodules, our thyroid nodule specialist in Singapore will compassionately and comprehensively walk you to a lasting solution. But what are thyroid nodules? Thyroid nodules are abnormal swellings or growths in the thyroid gland. They are a common condition that affects about 30% of adults.
Most thyroid nodules are benign, meaning they are noncancerous. However, a small percentage can become large enough to cause pain or become malignant. Understanding the symptoms of thyroid nodules can help you seek prompt medical help for effective treatment.
Understanding Thyroid Nodules
Thyroid nodules are abnormal lumps or cell overgrowths in the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is just below the Adam's apple. Most thyroid nodules are asymptomatic and benign or noncancerous. You may have them and never know until they become painful or large enough to cause discomfort.
A small percentage of thyroid nodules can be malignant. Malignant thyroid nodules can lead to thyroid cancer. However, do not make conclusions before a professional diagnosis. Only about 10% of all thyroid nodules are malignant.
Common Symptoms of Thyroid Nodules
In most cases, thyroid nodules will not exhibit any symptoms. They only cause symptoms when they begin to grow. Common symptoms may include;
- Voice changes or hoarseness
- Difficult swallowing or breathing
- Pressure sensation
- Pain or inflammation
- Hyperthyroidism, which comes from the overproduction of the thyroid hormone
- Unintended weight loss or gain
Pain and Thyroid Nodules
While most thyroid nodules are painless, they can grow large and press on other organs to cause pain in the neck, jaw, or ears. The pain can feel like a tightness or pain in the neck that worsens when you turn the head. It can be localized, meaning you only feel pain around the thyroid gland or referred (radiating to other areas). Before a diagnosis, you can mistake thyroid nodule pain for toothache or ear infection.
Pain as a Symptom of Underlying Issues
As mentioned earlier, pain is rare in thyroid nodules. You only develop pain when the thyroid grows and begins to press on other organs. Pain in thyroid nodules indicates a complication or an underlying condition. It could point to inflammation or cystic changes. Pain can also suggest a possibility of malignancy in the thyroid nodules.
When to Seek Medical Attention for Thyroid Nodules
While you can have the nodules examined during routine medical check-ups, you should see your physician when you experience the following warning signs.
- Persistent pain that can be localized or radiating
- Changes in nodule size (enlargement of the nodules)
- Development of new symptoms
Seeking prompt medical attention allows your physician to examine the thyroid nodules and create a treatment plan. Moreover, it helps in early detection of thyroid cancer, making it easy to treat the condition.
Diagnostic Process for Painful Thyroid Nodules
Several diagnostic methods can help evaluate painful thyroid nodules. Our thyroid nodules experts can apply any of the following tools.
- Physical examination
- Thyroid function tests
- Ultrasound imaging
- Fine-needle biopsy
In most cases, the physician will begin with a physical examination of the nodules before proceeding to more advanced diagnostic methods. Your first visit should not scare you since our medical staff are compassionate and experienced in diagnosing and treating painful thyroid nodules.
Thyroid Nodules Treatment Options in Singapore
While several treatment options are available, a thyroid specialist recommends a specific option after diagnosis and evaluation. The expert may recommend;
- A surgical intervention to remove the nodules. Surgical intervention only happens where other options are likely to fail.
- Radiofrequency ablation - a minimally invasive procedure that takes about 30 to 45 minutes.
Your doctor may also recommend active surveillance when the nodules are non-invasive. Active surveillance means you are required to visit your doctor after every few months. This allows the doctor to monitor the thyroid nodules for size and other changes.
Contact Us If Thyroid Nodules Are Cuasing Pain and Discomfort
While most thyroid nodules are asymptomatic and noncancerous, pain may indicate an underlying condition. That's why we recommend prompt medical check-ups when the nodules become painful or cause discomfort. Contact us to schedule an appointment or speak to our thyroid nodules specialist.
The Advantages of RFA of Thyroid Nodules
The major advantages of the technique are as below.
- It is done as day surgery procedure under light sedation.
- It takes about 45 minutes to one hour to complete the entire procedure.
- Patients are discharged the same day.
- Normal thyroid tissue adjacent to the nodule is preserved.
- It does not affect thyroid function.
- Multiple nodules can be treated at same time.
- The treated nodules do not regrow again.
- No surgical scar with needle mark on the skin.
- Quick recovery and back to full activity and normal lifestyle.
- The technique is suitable to treat even large thyroid nodules.
Find out how thyroid nodule Radiofrequency Ablation can help you in a minimally invasive way on our blog post, “Thyroid Nodule Radiofrequency Ablation Treatment: Diagnosis, Management, and Recovery.”
Thyroid Nodule Resources
How to Keep Thyroid Healthy for Optimal Well-Being
As part of the endocrine system, the thyroid hormones must be perfectly balanced at all times for the body to function normally.
Caring For Your Thyroid Health
Have you ever experienced difficulty swallowing or breathing? You may have risk factors including a family history of thyroid nodules or iodine deficiency. Thyroid nodules are abnormal lumps (growths) within the thyroid gland, a butterfly-shaped gland located below your voice box. Even if most thyroid nodules are benign, 10-15% of nodules are cancerous. Sometimes overgrowth of normal thyroid tissue can lead to hyperthyroidism. In other cases, multiple nodules can form in the thyroid called multinodular goiter. Fluid filled thyroid cysts can be one type of thyroid nodule within the thyroid. More complex nodules may lead to thyroid cancers. Depending on the root cause and type of nodule you have, patients can monitor with regular ultrasound or even have a thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAC) if required. Surgery to remove partial or whole thyroid gland can be done but thanks to minimally invasive treatments such as Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA), this procedure can treat noncancerous and cancerous thyroid lumps.
Other Health Conditions
The Supreme Vascular and Interventional Clinic is your "go-to" facility for various conditions and pain management. To arrange an appointment with Dr. Manish Taneja, our thyroid nodule specialist, contact us. You can also call us at (+65) 6904 8084 for a consultation.