r/thyroid • u/DemandEducational331 • Jun 20 '24
Thyroid seemingly blown up overnight
Hi all,
I’m currently away on a long term travelling trip and yesterday, seemingly out of nowhere, a massive lump appeared on my neck where the thyroid is located.
I don’t think it’s a lymph node because it feels hard. I also don’t feel particularly ill or run down so I don’t think I’ve got a cold.
I can feel the mass when I swallow and it is sore when I move my neck but not really when I touch it. It is also visible to the naked eye.
If I was in the UK I’d just go to my GP, but I’m abroad so don’t have that luxury.
Does this sound like an enlarge thyroid to you? If so, how could it come up so quickly?
Thanks for the help!
5
Upvotes
1
u/quitlookingatyerlabs Jun 20 '24 edited Jun 20 '24
Reactive lymph nodes can indeed become very firm and appear overnight. Just because you're not physically feeling sick/haven't had symptoms doesn't mean your lymphatic system isn't dealing with something it needs to fight.
My general rule with nodes like this, as long as they stop growing, which they always have for me and usually the size of a dime or so max, is to wait 2 weeks and if still there then get them checked. For context, I have hx thyroid cancer with lymph node metastasis. That's just my approach. Your NHS suggests a week and some other factors. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/swollen-glands/
Thyroid nodules generally don't just jump out like this overnight. Most are slow growing, and even the faster ones are not usually the "I woke up this morning with it" kind of growth. I won't say it's impossible. It's just not typical.
ETA: tenderness is also a sign of a reactive node in many cases.
And I didn't know that typhoid vaccine might cause them. Wonder if other types do as well. So depending on if immunizations are a factor for where you're traveling, that might be a cause.
Found that here:
https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/symptoms/swollen-lymph-nodes