goitre

Goitre is an abnormal swelling in the front of the neck caused by an enlarged thyroid gland.

• The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the neck that makes hormones which help control growth, energy use, and how fast the body works (metabolism).
• A common cause of goitre is iodine deficiency. Iodine is needed to make thyroid hormones. When there isn’t enough iodine in the diet, the thyroid tries to work harder and can grow bigger.
• Goitre is a deficiency disease, so it is non-communicable—it does not spread from one person to another.
• Along with neck swelling, some people may have symptoms like tiredness, feeling unusually cold, weight gain, or slow thinking if thyroid hormone levels become low.
• Prevention is often simple: use iodised salt and eat iodine-rich foods (like seafood in coastal areas, milk, and eggs). This is why “iodised” is written on many salt packets.

Goitre is a good example of how a small lack of one nutrient can affect a whole body system.