How To Palpate Thyroid Gland

Surprisingly one does not feel the hyoid bone in the midline although sometimes its lateral end is misidentified as a hard lymph node.

How to palpate thyroid gland. Put your finger on tip of your chin mentalis. Attempt to locate the thyroid isthmus by palpating between the cricoid cartilage and the suprasternal notch. Take a sip of water if need be. A normal thyroid should be symmetrica.

You should feel the over the entire thyroid noting any changes in consistency size nodules or tenderness. Ask the patient to flex the neck slightly forward to relax the sternocleidomastoid muscles say please look at the ceiling stand behind the patient and place your fingers of both hands on the patient s neck. If your thyroid a butterfly shaped gland in the neck that helps control metabolism is underactive you may experience weight gain constipation cold sensitivity or fatigue hypothyroidism. The thyroid or thyroid gland is an endocrine gland in the neck consisting of two connected lobes the lower two thirds of the lobes are connected by a thin band of tissue called the thyroid isthmus.

Use one hand to slightly retract the sternocleidomastoid muscle while using the other to palpate the thyroid. Have the patient swallow a sip of water as you palpate feeling for the upward movement of the thyroid gland. Symptoms of a thyroid problem are often vague but if you notice any of the following signs persisting or have more than one endocrinologists recommend seeing a doctor to request a simple blood test to gauge your hormone levels. Gently touch the area around your thyroid gland to try to palpate feel any enlargement bumps or protrusions.

Have the patient sit in a comfortable position. Slide finger down the midline and the first hard structure you hit is the top of the thyroid cartilage. The thyroid a butterfly shaped gland in the neck produces hormones essential for metabolism and brain activity. The thyroid is located at the front of the neck below the adam s apple microscopically the functional unit of the thyroid gland is the spherical thyroid follicle lined with follicular cells.

The first hard structure you will hit is the thyroid cartilage leading to the adam s apple.