Request an Appointment

Toggle navigation
  • blog
Steven M Dawson, MD
12333 NE 130th Ln Ste 440Kirkland, WA 98034-3039425-899-3838
  • Home
  • Services
    • Breathing Problems
    • Ear Infection
    • Hearing Loss
    • Mouth Sores
    • Neck Pain
    • Sinus Headaches
    • Sinus Infection
    • Sinus Surgery
    • Sinusitis
    • Snoring Sleep Apnea
    • Sore Throat
  • Appointment Request
  • New Patients
  • Contact Us
  • Office
  • Staff
  • Patient Education
    • Throat
      • Aging and Swallowing
      • Aspiration
      • Cricopharyngeal Muscle Dysfunction
      • Dysphagia
      • GERD and LPR
      • Hoarseness
      • Salivary Gland Disorders
      • Sore Throats
      • Spasmodic Dysphonia
      • Tonsillitis
      • Tonsils and Adenoids
      • Vocal Cord Paralysis
      • Voice Box (Laryngeal) Cancer
      • Zenker’s Diverticulum
    • Ears
      • Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
      • Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
      • Cholesteatoma
      • Conductive Hearing Loss
      • Earaches
      • Ears and Altitude (Barotrauma)
      • Earwax (Cerumen Impaction)
      • Hyperacusis
      • Ménière’s Disease
      • Otosclerosis
      • Ramsay Hunt Syndrome
      • Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL)
      • Swimmer's Ear
      • Tinnitus
      • Vestibular Schwannoma
    • Nose
      • Asthma
      • Dysgeusia
      • Deviated Septum
      • Fungal Sinusitis
      • Geriatric Rhinitis
      • Hyposmia and Anosmia
      • Nosebleeds
      • Post-Nasal Drip
      • Sinus Headaches
      • Sinusitis
      • Rhinitis
      • Turbinate Hypertrophy
    • Head & Neck
      • Bell's Palsy
      • Fine Needle Aspiration
      • Graves’ Disease
      • Head and Neck Cancer
      • Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
      • Neck Mass in Adults
      • Sialadenitis
      • Skin Cancer
      • Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) Pain
    • Thyroid & Parathyroid
      • Goiter
      • Hyperthyroidism
      • Pediatric Thyroid Cancer
      • Thyroid Cancer
      • Thyroid Nodules
    • Sleep & Snoring
      • Pediatric Sleep-disordered Breathing
      • Snoring, Sleeping Disorders and Sleep Apnea
    • Facial, Plastic & Reconstructive
      • Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
      • Nasal Fractures
    • Kids ENT Health
      • Ankyloglossia (Tongue-tie)
      • Pediatric Hearing Loss
      • Pediatric Sinusitis
      • Pediatric Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Goiter

Dr. Steven M Dawson and his staff believe that informed patients are better equipped to make decisions regarding their health and well being. For your personal use, we have created an extensive patient library covering an array of educational topics. Browse through these diagnoses and treatments to learn more about topics of interest to you. For a more comprehensive search of our entire Web site, enter your term(s) in the search bar provided.

As always, you can contact my office to answer any questions or concerns.

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the front of the neck. It produces thyroid hormone, which controls your metabolism, temperature regulation, and keeps your muscles and organs working properly.

Goiter refers to an enlarged thyroid gland. A single or multiple nodules, Graves’ disease , and hyperthyroidism can all lead to the development of a goiter. A goiter can develop in one or both sides of the thyroid gland. In some people, the goiter will start to grow down into the chest. This is referred to as a substernal goiter.

What Are the Symptoms of Goiter?

Goiters can often be seen or felt as a lump or mass in the neck. As goiters become bigger they can put pressure on your windpipe (trachea) or food pipe (esophagus), causing symptoms such as:

  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Difficulty breathing (particularly when lying down)
  • Choking sensation
  • Pressure in the neck

What Causes Goiter?

In some parts of the world, goiters develop because of a lack of iodine in peoples’ diets. However, in the United States where iodine is added to salt, goiters are most often caused by other problems. A family history of goiter increases the risk of developing goiter.

What Are the Treatment Options?

When a patient starts to experience symptoms, treatment is often offered. The exact type of treatment is based on the cause of the goiter and the patient’s preferences. In some cases, thyroid surgery is the best treatment option. Discuss any possible symptoms or concerns you may have with your primary care provider, an endocrinologist, or an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist, or otolaryngologist.

What Questions Should I Ask My Doctor?

  1. I have difficulty breathing or swallowing. Could this be related to a goiter?
  2. How big is my goiter?
  3. Do I need to treat it, or can I just watch it?

 

Copyright 2021. American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. Last reviewed April 2020.


Learn More

  • Sinusitis
  • Sinus Headaches
  • Sinus Surgery
  • Snoring/Sleep Apnea

Patient Education

Patient Education
  • Throat
    • Aging and Swallowing
    • Aspiration
    • Cricopharyngeal Muscle Dysfunction
    • Dysphagia
    • GERD and LPR
    • Hoarseness
    • Salivary Gland Disorders
    • Sore Throats
    • Spasmodic Dysphonia
    • Tonsillitis
    • Tonsils and Adenoids
    • Vocal Cord Paralysis
    • Voice Box (Laryngeal) Cancer
    • Zenker’s Diverticulum
  • Ears
    • Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
    • Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
    • Cholesteatoma
    • Conductive Hearing Loss
    • Earaches
    • Ears and Altitude (Barotrauma)
    • Earwax (Cerumen Impaction)
    • Hyperacusis
    • Ménière’s Disease
    • Otosclerosis
    • Ramsay Hunt Syndrome
    • Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL)
    • Swimmer's Ear
    • Tinnitus
    • Vestibular Schwannoma
  • Nose
    • Asthma
    • Dysgeusia
    • Deviated Septum
    • Fungal Sinusitis
    • Geriatric Rhinitis
    • Hyposmia and Anosmia
    • Nosebleeds
    • Post-Nasal Drip
    • Sinus Headaches
    • Sinusitis
    • Rhinitis
    • Turbinate Hypertrophy
  • Head & Neck
    • Bell's Palsy
    • Fine Needle Aspiration
    • Graves’ Disease
    • Head and Neck Cancer
    • Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
    • Neck Mass in Adults
    • Sialadenitis
    • Skin Cancer
    • Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) Pain
  • Thyroid & Parathyroid
    • Goiter
    • Hyperthyroidism
    • Pediatric Thyroid Cancer
    • Thyroid Cancer
    • Thyroid Nodules
  • Sleep & Snoring
    • Pediatric Sleep-disordered Breathing
    • Snoring, Sleeping Disorders and Sleep Apnea
  • Facial, Plastic & Reconstructive
    • Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
    • Nasal Fractures
  • Kids ENT Health
    • Ankyloglossia (Tongue-tie)
    • Pediatric Hearing Loss
    • Pediatric Sinusitis
    • Pediatric Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Our Location

12333 NE 130th Ln
Ste 440
Kirkland, WA 98034-3039
425-899-3838

Map & directions


Contact Us

ENT in Kirkland, WA Steven M Dawson MD 12333 NE 130th Lane, Suite 440 Kirkland, WA98034 (425) 899-3838 ENT in Kirkland, WA Call For Pricing!
  • Home
  • Staff
  • Office
  • Services
  • New Patients
  • Patient Education
  • Contact Us
  • Appointment Request
  • Copyright © MH Sub I, LLC dba Officite
  • Disclaimer
  • Patient Privacy
  • Site Map