Thyroid diseases are increasingly found in medical practice , and they can concern not only the elderly, as it is believed, but also quite young and seemingly full of strength and energy. The causes of the disease of this organ are many, one of the most common is the lack of iodine in the body. In order to recognize and see the disorders in the functioning of this gland in time, it is recommended to do an ultrasound of the thyroid gland, a safe but quite informative procedure, which is prescribed for diagnostic purposes.
The examination, in most cases, is prescribed by the endocrinologist if the patient has any disturbing symptoms. The latter include increased fatigue, irritability, tremors, sharp fluctuations in weight, swelling in the neck. So, ultrasound of the thyroid gland will most accurately diagnose neoplasms and nodes (if any), pathological changes or inflammation of this organ.
In order to conduct a study, the patient is placed on his back, and a special roller is placed under the neck. The area that needs to be examined is smeared with a special gel, sensors are also fixed here, with which it will be possible to take pictures. Thus, an ultrasound of the thyroid gland is a simple and completely painless procedure, the diagnostic efficiency of which, at the same time, is very high. Modern research methods using ultrasound avoid false diagnoses and dubious hypotheses. Indeed, the state of the human hormonal system directly depends on the health of this organ.
It is recommended that people living in ecologically unsafe or industrial areas be examined at least once a year to detect pathological changes that can be corrected. Also, women who have certain gynecological diseases, such as mastopathy, endometriosis, infertility, are usually referred to this procedure. Specialists can prescribe ultrasound of the thyroid gland to pregnant women, especially if hormone tests show any abnormalities.
Neglecting the procedure, if recommended by a specialist, is not worth it, even if there are no symptoms that cause discomfort and indicate a malfunction in the work of this body. The main value of an ultrasound scan of a thyroid gland made as a preventive measure is that it is possible to establish even minor changes, for example, small nodular formations that are not detected by an endocrinologist during palpation, and they can serve as a signal of more serious diseases or precancerous condition . In order to clarify the diagnosis, additional studies may be needed: biopsy and others. If the tests exclude oncology, then with the help of ultrasound, further monitoring of nodules is carried out.
In order to make an ultrasound of the thyroid gland, it is enough to contact the clinic at the place of residence or a private clinic, while the price of this service is most often low compared to other medical services aimed at identifying the causes of malaise. There are no contraindications and side effects after this procedure, including that it is recommended, in most cases, to pregnant women. After reaching the age of 40, and also if there is a constant effect on the body of harmful substances (e.g. radiation), this examination is carried out annually. This does not take up, most often, a lot of time, and timely identified deviations will help to avoid quite large health problems in the future.