Thyroid tissue has a strong ability to concentrate iodine. The human thyroid requires 60-80 micrograms of iodine daily to produce physiologically active thyroid hormones. In the body, there is a mutually dependent and restrictive feedback relationship between the thyroid hormones secreted by the thyroid and the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) secreted by the pituitary gland. When iodine is deficient, thyroid cells cannot synthesize enough thyroid hormones, leading to a decrease in the concentration of thyroid hormones in the blood. The inhibitory effect of thyroid hormones on the pituitary secretion (TSH) is weakened, the secretion of pituitary TSH increases, the level of TSH in the blood rises, and the thyroid becomes enlarged and hyperplastic. Goiter falls under the category of "Ying disease" in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The basic pathogenesis of Ying disease is the stagnation of qi, the coagulation of phlegm, and the congestion of blood in front of the neck. In the early stages, it is mostly caused by the stagnation of qi, the condensation of fluid into phlegm, and the struggle between phlegm and qi in front of the neck. Over time, it leads to blood stasis, and the combination of qi, phlegm, and blood stasis causes the disease. The main location of the disease is in the liver and spleen, and it is related to the heart.
Qi Stagnation and Phlegm Blockage Type: There is an enlarged mass on both sides of the front of the neck, soft and painless, with a feeling of fullness in the neck, chest tightness, a tendency to sigh deeply, or accompanied by stabbing pain in the chest and hypochondria, and the condition often fluctuates with emotions; the tongue coating is thin and white, and the pulse is taut.
Phlegm Coagulation and Blood Stasis Type: There is an enlarged mass on both sides of the front of the neck, which is relatively hard or nodular upon touch, and the lump has not disappeared for a long time, with chest tightness and poor appetite; the tongue is dark or purplish, with a thin white or greasy white coating, and the pulse is taut or unsmooth.
Liver Fire Exuberance Type: Mild or moderate swelling on both sides of the front of the neck, generally soft and smooth, with feverishness, easy sweating, irritability, anger, exophthalmos, finger tremors, hot face, and bitter taste in the mouth; the tongue is red, with a thin yellow coating, and the pulse is taut and rapid.
Heart and Liver Yin Deficiency Type: The mass on both sides of the front of the neck is either large or small, soft in quality, with a slow onset of the disease, restlessness with palpitations, irritability with poor sleep, easy sweating, finger tremors, dry eyes, dizziness, and fatigue; the tongue is red, with little or no coating, and the tongue body trembles, the pulse is taut, thin, and rapid.
It is recommended to perform moxibustion once a day, targeting 2 to 3 acupoints each time, with each acupoint being treated for 30 to 40 minutes. Rotate the points treated, with a 10-day period constituting one course of treatment, and then rest for 2 to 3 days before continuing with the next course. (If time permits and there is a need, more acupoints can be treated with moxibustion. The specific duration should be adjusted according to one's own physical needs.)
1. Maintain a pleasant mood and try to control irritability and anger. 2. Cabbage, soybeans, peas, peanuts, walnuts, and other foods that may trigger goiter should be used with caution. 3. Goiter during pregnancy may resolve on its own after childbirth and generally does not require treatment. (The above content is specific to goiter and not to thyroid nodules)