In general, goiter is when your thyroid gland is not functioning properly making the gland itself swell. And when I say swell, I mean visible, abnormal swelling around the neck area since the swelling affects the voicebox as well. Goiter is usually classified 3 ways:
•    Diffuse or colloid goiter
•    Toxic goiter
•    Nontoxic goiter
Although there is really nothing to be bothered about if you have goiter as it is treatable and not at all fatal, if you begin to feel a mass around your neck, you should consult a doctor at once for it to be tested for malignancy since presence of mass can also be a symptom of thyroid cancer. Diffuse goiter is usually found among teenagers and those who are not getting enough iodine in their diet. Diffuse goiter is usually called as simple goiter as they almost always go away on their own after a short round of treatments. Toxic goiter on the other hand, can be caused by many other things such as inflammation or Graves’ disease. It can even be a result of a diffuse goiter gone bad. You most certainly have toxic goiter if your thyroid is overproducing hormones or if you are experiencing hyperthyroidism. Nontoxic goiter on the other hand is when your thyroid gland is not producing enough hormones or if you are suffering from hypothyroidism. For seniors, the most common type of goiter would be toxic goiter.
Toxic nodular goiter is usually found in elderly women ages 60 and above and surprisingly, this disorder can never be found on kids. To determine whether a senior has toxic goiter, a simple physical exam is in order. There should also be an enlarged thyroid gland that can be felt during physical exams, to begin with. A thyroid scan can also be helpful in determining the extent of your disorder. Like stated earlier, seniors diagnosed with toxic goiter should bear in mind that your condition comes hand-in-hand with hyperthyroidism, hence you are most likely to experience symptoms of such condition like:
•    Fatigue
•    Increase in appetite and frequency in bowel movement resulting to rapid weight loss
•    Heat intolerance coupled with excessive sweating similar to hot flashes
•    Restlessness
As mentioned above, toxic nodular goiter is not at all fatal and it is certainly curable, however, in some senior’s cases wherein the body is already plagued with other health conditions, particularly that of the heart, the effects of hyperthyroidism to the body itself can cause complications. Just to be on safer side of things, it is much better to have your condition sorted by your doctor once symptoms manifest.