Description: A goitre, or goiter, also called a bronchocele, is a swelling of the thyroid gland.
Persons most commonly affected: Women are more prone to this disease.
Organ or part of body involved: Thyroid Gland
Symptoms and indications:
The first symptoms of Goitre usually appear as emotional upsets, which
are almost unnoticed. The spells of these upsets gradually increase in
duration,. Subsequently, other symptoms also appear. These include loss
of power of concentration, depression and weeping. The patient appears
to be very easily irritated. The approach of a nervous breakdown is
often suspected.
The thyroid gland may swell but this has no relation to the severity
of the disease. There is a rapid, though regular, heartbeat. In most
cases, there may be a tremor of the hands and a feeling of extreme
tiredness, together with a lack of power to make any real muscular
effort. The eyes may incline to protrude. A most alarming symptom of
Goitre is the loss of weight, which no treatment seems to check it.
Causes and risk factors: Worldwide, the most common cause for goiter is iodine deficiency.
Prevention: The real
treatment for goitre should be directed towards cleansing of the system
and adoption of a rational dietary thereafter, combined with adequate
rest and relaxation. To begin with, juices of fruits such as orange,
apple, pineapple and grapes may be taken every two or three hours from 3
a.m. to 3 p.m. for five days. The bowels should be cleansed daily with
lukewarm water.
After the juice fast, the patient may spend further three days on
fruits and milk, taking three meals a day of juicy fruits such as apple,
pineapple, grapes, papaya with a glass "I milk, at five-hourly
intervals. Thereafter, the patient may adopt a well-balanced diet
consisting of seeds, nuts and grains, vegetables and fruits. The
emphasis should be on fresh fruits and raw or lightly cooked vegetables.
Certain foods and fluids are extremely injurious for goitre patients
and should be avoided by them. These include white flour products,
white sugar, flesh foods, fried or greasy foods, preserves, condiments,
tea, coffee and alcohol. Iodine is undoubtedly most helpful in many
cases, but it should be introduced in organic form. All foods containing
Iodine should be taken liberally. These are asparagus, cabbage,
carrots, garlic, onion, oats, pineapple, whole rice, tomatoes,
watercress and strawberries.
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