What Is The Thyroid?
The thyroid is the small, butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck. It produces hormones that regulate your body's metabolism. When thyroid hormone production changes, it affects virtually every system in the body.
Undiagnosed thyroid disease may put patients at risk for other health conditions like cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, and infertility.
Thyroid Conditions and Treatments
Interested in learning more about a specific thyroid condition or treatment?
Did You Know?
Check Your Thyroid With a Self-Exam
How to do a Neck check?
You can perform a simple at-home neck check to help with early detection. This self-exam can help you find lumps or enlargements that may indicate a thyroid condition
Why perform an at-home neck check
Even if your neck looks normal on the surface, something more serious could be lurking. If you have risk factors for thyroid diseases (such as a family history), it is a good idea to check your neck periodically. Any growth is a sign that you should seek professional help.
How to do a thyroid self-examination
Below are easy steps for examining your thyroid:
1. Face a mirror
Position yourself or the mirror to focus on the lower-front portion of your neck, and remove anything that could block the view of your neck.
2. Tilt your head
Extend your neck back slightly, pointing your chin toward the ceiling, while still being able to see into the mirror without trouble.
3. Find your thyroid
Put your finger on tip of your chin and slide that finger down the midline. The first structure you hit is the top of the thyroid cartilage, which despite its name, is not where the thyroid gland is situated. Keep moving your finger down your neck to the Adam's apple. Just beyond you will feel the cricoid cartilage. Continue downward; below the cricoid ring are the first two rings of the trachea on top of which lies the thyroid gland.
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4. Take a sip of water
Keeping your neck extended backward, take a sip of water and swallow.
5. Look for lumps
As you swallow, with your neck still extended back, examine your neck for any visual irregularities including enlargements, lumps, protrusions, or imbalances.
6. Touch the area
Gently feel the area around your thyroid for any enlargement or lumps. Thyroid nodules usually appear round in shape and move/roll with the gland when you swallow. A goiter can be found on one or both sides of the thyroid.
7. Repeat the process.
Do the tilt-swallow-look process a few times to observe the structures in your neck.
If you find any irregularities, talk to your doctor about next steps. Finding lumps, nodules, or swelling does not mean that you have a thyroid disorder or cancer.
Follow up diagnostic tests may include an ultrasound, blood hormone tests, or a computerized tomography (CT) scan.
A Note from Paloma Health
An at-home neck check can be valuable if you have a mass that growing or changing in shape and size. However, an exam of this kind has its limitations. Hypothyroidism can often be hard to detect visually or with your fingers.
If you suspect thyroid issues, we recommend you complete a blood test even if your thyroid visually looks normal. This diagnostic helps you to fully understand how your thyroid is working and if there is a need for a further evaluation of your thyroid function.
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Resources to learn more
Learn How to Do a Thyroid Neck Check
An at-home self-exam can help you find thyroid lumps or enlargements on your own thyroid gland
Learn more
The Starter Guide To Thyroid Health
Download this free guide to learn about the science of hypothyroidism and the first steps to managing your thyroid health.
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