Denise Richards Credits Fans for Pointing Out Her Enlarged Thyroid: ‘I Thank All of You’

Feeling grateful. Denise Richards is giving a huge shoutout to eagle-eyed fans who noticed that her thyroid looked unusually large during an episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion. The Wild Things actress, 48, took to Instagram to give thanks to those who reached out about the potential medical issue.

“A few of you pointed out after the #RHOBH reunion that my thyroid was enlarged,” Denise wrote on Instagram alongside a series of two photos. “You were right, it was something I ignored until pointed out.” In an episode that aired earlier this month, fans noticed that Denise had a large abnormality on her neck.

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Luckily, she was able to find a solution. “It’s amazing to me in a short time eliminating gluten from my diet how much my thyroid has changed,” she said, noting that she is doing better after going gluten-free. “I had no idea how much our diet really can affect our body and for me how toxic gluten really is … I thank all of you who sent me messages.”

According to the American Thyroid Association, an enlarged thyroid — also known as a goiter — isn’t necessarily a death wish. In fact, goiters are typically harmless, although they can be uncomfortable when swallowing or coughing. However, an enlarged thyroid could also mean a bigger issue, like Graves’ or Hashimoto’s disease, or even thyroid cancer.

“A goiter can occur in a gland that is producing too much hormone (hyperthyroidism), too little hormone (hypothyroidism), or the correct amount of hormone (euthyroidism),” the organization notes. “A goiter indicates there is a condition present which is causing the thyroid to grow abnormally.”

Denise’s close call comes almost a year after her beloved beachside home was destroyed in the devastating Woosley fires. The World Is Not Enough actress recalled the horrifying experience with her husband, Aaron Phypers, and her kids, during an appearance on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills After Show.

“I’ve been through a lot of fires in Los Angeles; I’ve only been evacuated once,” the blonde beauty recalled during an episode of the Bravo after show in June. “This was the second time and I just felt so helpless, like trapped. And I’ve never felt that before.”

Luckily, Denise, her husband and her three kids were able to make it out with the help of their community. “There [were] over 450,000 people evacuated,” she explained. “This was like, everyone came together, doesn’t matter how much money you have, if you’re famous or not, to survive.” Wow!