What is a goiter? What is endemic goiter? How is this problem socially solved?
Goiter is the abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. The goiter appears as a tumor in the anterior neck and it may be visible or sometimes not visible but palpable. Goiter can occur in hypothyroidism or in hyperthyroidism. Endemic goiter is the goiter caused by deficient iodine ingestion (deficiency of iodine in the diet). The endemic character of the disease is explained because the iodine content of the diet is often a social or cultural condition affecting many people of some geographical regions. The hypothyroidism caused by deficient iodine ingestion is more frequent in regions far from the sea coast (since sea food is rich in iodine). Nowadays the problem is often solved by obligatory addition of iodine in table salt. As table salt is a widely used condiment the supply of iodine in diet is almost assured by this method.
