# can you feel your thyroid??



## ritamay

This is a weird question...

If I put my hands around the front of my neck, I can move something in there back and forth, not sure what it is. Any thoughts? It doesn't hurt, just feels weird, and was wondering if it's my thyroid and should you be able to feel it like that.
It make almost like a clicking sound, if that makes sense.


----------



## Andros

ritamay said:


> This is a weird question...
> 
> If I put my hands around the front of my neck, I can move something in there back and forth, not sure what it is. Any thoughts? It doesn't hurt, just feels weird, and was wondering if it's my thyroid and should you be able to feel it like that.
> It make almost like a clicking sound, if that makes sense.


Yes; you can palpate your thyroid. But, I don't know if that is your thyroid as I would have to be there to see exactly. In any case, if you stand in front of a mirror, tilt your head back, take a swallow of water............you should be able to see your thyroid. That is, if it's swollen.

How do you feel? Are you under a doctor's care for thyroid disease? I read some of your other posts; do you have hyperthyroid?


----------



## ritamay

hi Andros

No, I'm not on any medication. I still need to get in to see about getting antibodies checking done. (all my other labs are normal)

After I posted, I realized that I am probably not in the right area of my neck for it to be my thyroid. It's like if I have a hold of my windpipe, I can move it, and it makes a clicky noise, just seemed strange.

Thanks anyways!!


----------



## Andros

ritamay said:


> hi Andros
> 
> No, I'm not on any medication. I still need to get in to see about getting antibodies checking done. (all my other labs are normal)
> 
> After I posted, I realized that I am probably not in the right area of my neck for it to be my thyroid. It's like if I have a hold of my windpipe, I can move it, and it makes a clicky noise, just seemed strange.
> 
> Thanks anyways!!


Well, be careful wriggling things around. You don't want to inflame the thyroid nor would you want to injure your windpipe.

Let us know when you get the antibodies done.


----------



## Swimmer

If your doctor feels your thyroid, or if you feel it when you swallow, or don't swallow, or if you find that pulling your skin on your neck beneath your swallowing part of your throat makes you feel a little better, let your doc know -- he will likely order an ultrasound.


----------



## Endocrine_Surgeon

You may be feeling the thyroid cartilage (this is NOT the thyroid, just a large ring of cartilage that happens to have the name "thyroid cartilage"). It usually clicks if you move it left and right. The top of it forms the "Adam's apple" - which is present in women though much smaller.

You can feel the thyroid - even normal sized, if you have a thin neck and a lot of practice. It is lower than the thyroid cartilage, and you will feel it slide up when you swallow. It is NOT easy to feel a normal thyroid, though.


----------



## shanabe

I can definitely feel my thyroid. It is closer to where the collar bones come together. Not only can I feel it, and feel it is larger on the right side then the left, you can actually see it. This is just one more reason why I pressured my doctor more to find out about what is going on.


----------



## burdette2004

You can see that mine is very enlarged just by looking at it so yes, you can feel it.


----------

