The thyroid disorder can be harmless, but it can also be an indicator of life-threatening cancer.
Denise Richards is thanking eagle-eyed fans after they noticed a large lump on her throat during the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” reunion.
“A few of you pointed out after the reunion that my thyroid was enlarged," the 48-year-old mom of three wrote on Instagram. “You were right; it was something I ignored until pointed out. I thank all of you who sent me messages.”
It's not the first time a television viewer has seen something and said something.
Several viewers noticed a lump on Inside Edition anchor Deborah Norville’s neck. For years it was nothing, she said. Then in April, she had surgery to remove a cancerous thyroid nodule.
In 2015, Tarek El Moussa of HGTV’s “Flip or Flop” was also alerted by a viewer to have a lump on his throat checked. Doctors caught his thyroid cancer just in time.
An enlarged thyroid is also known as a goiter, according to Mayo Clinic. It is usually painless, but it can also cause the person to cough or lead to difficulty swallowing or breathing.
The disorder can be a sign of a hormone imbalance or indicate a more serious problem like the autoimmune disorder Hashimoto's disease or even thyroid cancer.
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