LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Goiter
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Goiter is the enlargement of the thyroid gland, which leads to difficulty breathing and/or swallowing. This type of enlargement is usually not associated with cancer or hormone overproduction. Often, goiter results when an insufficient amount of hormones are being produced. In response, the thyroid gland enlarges to meet the demand. This initial decreased hormone production may be caused by a deficiency in iodine or by eating certain foods.
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Goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid gland. It may be diffuse, involving all thyroid tissue, or it may be caused by one or more lumps (nodules)รข€”called nodular goiter. Diffuse goiter reflects an underlying thyroid problem, most commonly iodine deficiency in iodine-deficient areas of the world, where nearly 1 billion people may be subject to the disorder. In the United States, iodine deficiency is rare (because of widespread use of iodized salt) and goiter is most commonly caused by Graves' disease or Hashimoto's disease. Nodular goiter affects 3 to 5 percent of adults, mainly women. Nodules may reflect thyroid cancer (in 5% of cases), but the remainder are benign processes due to multiple causes.
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Goiter is generally uncanny. It may seldom be carried to a person through heredity or by other means like, from a foreign agent. Since it is mainly caused due to the varied level of iodine content in the blood, improper food habits have a fair share of causes of goiter. Also, women at the time of pregnancy have a high probability of developing goitre. Immature puberty ... can lead to the development of goiter. Other diseases like grave’s disease and thyroid cancer can develop multiple nodules of the thyroid gland, thus leading to multinodular goiter.
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Goiter may cause dystocia by extension of the fetal head during the process of labor. It can ... cause upper airway obstruction, leading to acute respiratory failure. The prognosis depends on the basic cause of the goiter. Most cases of fetal goiters occur in women with a history of thyroid disease. Fetal blood sampling can aid in determining fetal thyroid status, especially in women
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Goiter is thought to be caused by iodine deficiency in many cases, although with the advent of iodized products such as table salt, iodine related goiter has decreased by large numbers in the United States. Other causes include thyroid cancer and non-malignant thyroid cysts. Other hormonal changes in the body like pregnancy or puberty, as well as certain foods, can ... cause goiters, but these are usually small and not problematic.
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Goiter is usually treated by increasing intake of iodized salt and avoiding goiter-aggrevating foods, such as cabbage, Brussel’s sprouts and soy. Iodine can be found in seafoods, kelp and sea vegetables. If goiters interfere with normal breathing and swallowing, surgical removal may be necessary.
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Goiter