Neck puffs up when I cough or laugh, any ideas?

[Mistydeb01]

Hi everyone, I have noticed tonight that when I cough or laugh the lower part of my neck puffs up. I have posted a picture below, the bottom one is my normal look the top picture is taken whilst laughing softly for the photo. Anyone any ideas what is causing this, thyroid or something else?

[Lora7again]

This is a goitre on someone who has thyroid disease. Mine is not as noticeable thank goodness.

assets.nhs.uk/prod/images/A...

[Mistydeb01 in reply to Lora7again]

Thanks for the image, that does look similar but I thought goitres were visible all the time. This only ‘pops’ out when I cough or laugh?

[Lora7again in reply to Mistydeb01]

Not always ... you cannot really really tell I have one unless I point it out.

[Mistydeb01 in reply to Lora7again]

I always learn something on here. Thank you, Debbie

[Hidden]

Do you have any discomfort from it? Is it getting bigger? Feel any lumps? Any problems when swallowing?

I'm sure it's nothing to worry about though you could ask for a scan if you are concerned. The saying "Better out than in " likely applies to goitres. As long as it doesn't press on your windpipe or cause any other problems you should be good to go.

[Mistydeb01 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for the response. I have woke today and my throat is burning and I have the sniffles, obviously starting with a cold. My voice is very hoarse and deep. I thought goitres were visible all the time, this just ‘pops’ out when I cough or chuckle. Debbie

[Marz in reply to Mistydeb01]

I would request a scan ...

[Hidden in reply to Mistydeb01]

I've no experience with goitres as my thyroid seems just to be shrivelling up quietly. But as Marz said it sounds as if you could do with a scan.

Wonder if it is a cold you have or at least partly thyroid. Especially the hoarse voice. Take care and dose yourself if it is a cold. An infection often seems to make the thyroid symptoms flare uo

[Hidden in reply to Mistydeb01]

My husband's tummy sticks out and wobbles when he coughs and laughs should he have a tummy tuck ? Advice wear a scarf and don't look when thyroid moves as it is worrying you.

[Hidden]

Had a noticeable goitre in my neck. I saw an ENT surgeon who made me wretch as he felt the goitre. As it was not affecting swallowing or breathing he said he would not operate. I joined the website 4 years after seeing the specialist and started to research into iodine supplements. Everybody thinks this is rubbish with today's hormone preparations. I found that there was French research which showed that people in the 18 century were backward and weak . It was recognised as a dietary deficiency of iodine. A more recent research showed that adolescent girls were more prone to iodine deficiency as they were not eating dairy which has iodine added to the feed in cow's. I decided to increase my iodine intake by eating fish paste every day and fish several times a week and have milk every day as well as meat which is also an iodine source. After six months of being on a lower carb diet and increasing iodine levels through food one side of the goitre decreased. It is still in the neck but is not as noticable as before. Iodine is essential to make the thyroid hormones in the gland. I have diabetes another metabolic disorder so this diet cutting out sugar and reducing fats grilling rather than trying using olive oil and sunflower oil for cooking helped me lose weight. If you felt you need to have your thyroid hormone levels tested then it would be wise as if you are coughing with burning in the throat it might be due to thyroid or to alcohol or a good virus. Expect you may have thyroid imbalance and this may be corrected with medication. As I am drug and food sensitive decided to opt for iodine in the diet. You can get drops which you put in the nose not to go down the back of the throat. If you are vitamin deficient then metabolism can be boosted by the b group of vitamins found in wheat bran . An ounce of Kellogg's complete wheat bran gives the daily requirement of b group. There is a brilliant video on lymphatic drainage in the neck called Heather's massage. I followed the video as it played and it was so relaxing sweeping away excess fluid round the neck into the lymph glands from behind the ear downwards so you did not touch the thyroid itself. When in doubt go to the doctor for a full thyroid test as some tests are skimpy due to cuts.

[Mistydeb01 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, that’s interesting

[SilverAvocado]

Mistydeb01, as well as goitres, people with thyroid illness can have a variety of other strange swellings and sensations around the throat. It doesn't necessarily need to be a true goitre to be thyroid related.

I had a goitre and it took me a long time to spot it becaause it wasn't too obvious in all the boney bits round the neck. But it was something solid I could feel with my fingers.

Goitres are pretty common, and many of them are completely benign and nothing to worry about. But it is best to get it checked out by a doctor and made formal so you can keep an eye on it in the long term.

[Mistydeb01 in reply to SilverAvocado]

Thank you

[Hidden]

Goitergens found in raw vegetables such as cabbage might affect your immune response with swelling but cooked vegetables are usually alright. Hot spices peppers chili might be irritants . Hope your cold is better and you have some blood tests.

[Mistydeb01 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, I’ve got an appt with GP on 20th Feb so hopefully I get one that knows something about the thyroid - there are 2 that do and 2 that don’t

[Lora7again in reply to Mistydeb01]

Let's hope you will get one who does know something which is quite rare in the UK

[Hidden]

Ask for one who you feel comfortable with and if is someone else who you are not sure of wait until the one you want is available . Any one who has made you anxious avoid . Thyroid is complicated especially with other endocrine problems.

[SallyAF]

Hi there, how did you get on with this in the end, please? I hope you're feeling better - I have the same and I'm wondering what to do next! Many thanks.

[Mistydeb01]

Hi, yes feeling better now thanks. I had a neck scan about 6 weeks ago and I’m waiting for a follow up with the ENT doctor. Not sure when that is going to happen, GP has supposedly chased it as I’ve now got a swelling above my collar bone. According to the letter I got there was nothing significant on the scan. But that’s all I know at the moment

Take a photo or video of the swelling so that when you get a docs appt they can see the image. Personally if I had a redo I would have done a video as the photo doesn’t really show it very well

Hope that helps. If I get any more info I will update the post

Debbie

[SallyAF in reply to Mistydeb01]

Glad to hear you're feeling better Debbie, that's good news. Many thanks for sharing your story, it's really helpful. Great idea re: taking a video, I'll do that for sure. I'm going to book a GP appointment when they open tomorrow. Basically I think I may have long covid as I've had a really nasty cough on and off since March when I was working across London, and now this, plus a pain in the back of my chest on the lefthand side. Yes, please do let us know how you get on, I hope all goes well with the swelling.

Take care and stay safe,

Sally

[Mistydeb01 in reply to SallyAF]

Yeah, I was wondering whether it was COVID too. I’ve had quite a few months feeling worse than usual, but I always feel like crap as I have CFS and hypo which is not well treated atm. Hopefully I’ll get to the bottom of it at some point. Good luck at the doctors, if you get any further forward than me, then let know either here or PM xx

[SallyAF]

Thanks so much for the extra info Debbie - sorry to hear about the other conditions too. I might ask about this also as I don't have any other conditions I'm aware of though I know thyroid problems run in my family. It was just lucky I found your post and pics after googling, as no-one else seems to talk about this. Sorry to hear about the potential Covid too - I joined Body Politics to complete the survey and try to learn about that. Yes, let's keep in touch. Good luck with your investigations, too Xx

[SallyAF]

Hi Debbie,

I hope this message finds you well. I just wanted to update you. I saw my GP, and he said my airways are tight and inflamed with the cough I've had since March (possibly long Covid). He said that because the airways are restricted, irritated and narrow with inflammation, when I laugh or cough it exerts a higher pressure than usual, which is what makes the neck puff out. He listened to my chest and doesn't think there's an infection. He prescribed a ventolin inhaler, to reduce the inflammation in the lungs and help relax the airways. So over time I should see the neck puffing reduce as the airway pressure reduces. I'll let you know how that goes! Has your neck puffing reduced over time? Do you use an inhaler? How are things going? Xx

[Mistydeb01 in reply to SallyAF]

Hi. At least you seem to get some decent response to it. I don’t have an inhaler and don’t have problems with breathing or coughing. Although it does puff up a little when I laugh it isn’t as bad as it was (looked like a frog croaking lol). Now it is only the bottom inch or so and I’m not sure if it did that before or not. Not heard anything else from ENT yet, I have chased a couple of times but zero contact from either GP or hospital. Wishing you well x

[SallyAF]

Hmmm, well its good to hear its going down. Maybe you had asymptomatic Covid at the time it started, as that does inflame tissues e.g. the airways, but it seems not everyone gets an obvious cough or temperature, or even realises they have it. When I had what I now think was Covid in March, my cough was only very slight, but I did get nasty headaches, and lose my sense of smell for a few days. I look like a frog croaking, too! Weird how when you Google this seems to be the only thread about it in the world, so thanks for sharing! Awful not to hear back re: results, chasing is a faff, I hope you hear back soon. After my chest xray I was told to call the GP in a week to get results - don't know why the GP doesn't say they will contact you if there's a problem - they must have lots of unnecessary calls! I didn't even know I was going to get an xray after I had antibiotics for coughing up blood last month, and the appointment letter arrived after the xray appointment, so I had to rebook! Take care and stay safe Xx

[Mistydeb01 in reply to SallyAF]

Take care yourself, hope everything goes well with results xx

[SallyAF]

Thanks Debbie - good news, the Xray results were clear. I hope you hear from ENT soon Xx

[Mistydeb01 in reply to SallyAF]

That’s good news, it might not help with the what is it but at least you know it’s nothing serious. Take care x

[Mistydeb01 in reply to SallyAF]

Hi, sorry it took a while to come back. I’ve had an Ultrasound scan and an MRI with contrast and they didn’t find anything that was untoward, so that’s good even if I didn’t find out what was the reason for it. But I did learn I had a thyroglossal duct cyst, that they found on my last scan about 4 years ago and a nodule on my thyroid, but neither of these would cause the swelling whilst under pressure from coughing or laughing. Hope you are well, Debbie xx

[SallyAF in reply to Mistydeb01]

Oh thank you for the update Debbie. Maybe I need to look into that anyway. So glad they didn't find anything untoward - that's great news, so pleased to hear it. Feeling exhausted at the mo, but that could be the excessive heat, maybe long covid, and also perhaps starting a new job. Trying to take it steady. Take care and stay safe, Sally. Xx

[Mistydeb01 in reply to SallyAF]

Let me know if you ever get an answer to your swelling. If you’ve got long COVID, then be kind to yourself and save energy for the really important things. I have ME, and it took me years to learn to use my limited energy wisely. Good luck in the new job, take care of yourself too. Debbie xx

[SallyAF]

Will do Debbie, definitely. Thanks for your good advice re: energy - it has been frustrating feeling so exhausted this past year - great idea to preserve my energy for important things. So sorry to hear that you have ME. I am presuming what I have is Long Covid anyway, I should probably seek a formal diagnosis. Wishing you lots of luck and good days, too. Xx

[Mistydeb01 in reply to SallyAF]

You too, have a look at pacing on one of the ME society websites, it’s hard to master, but makes you think about things. Especially the boom and bust cycle. That is about having a good day and you go crazy doing all the jobs you’ve neglected and then crash again coz you’ve used too much energy in a short timescale. I’m terrible for this, even now, lol. My daughter has some form of LC, her sleep pattern is reversed, and she could sleep for 15 hours a day, although it has got a bit better recently. She had COVID in Oct last year

[SallyAF]

Awww, thank you Debbie, I'll take a look. Sorry to hear about your daughter, too. LC feels like being dragged down by lead weights to me, physically and mentally!!! Weirdly I do have good days, when I've slept well and had a little gentle exercise. Hoping you both have lots of good days to come Xxxx