'RHOBH' Star Denise Richards Changed Her Diet After Fans Noticed Enlarged Thyroid

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Denise Richards is saying thank you to her fans for actually noticing that she looked a bit larger than normal ... and may have saved her life.

"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star" explained that it was actually fans who spotted an abnormality on her neck during the Bravo show’s reunion episodes.

“A few of you pointed out after the #RHOBH reunion that my thyroid was enlarged,” she wrote on Instagram. “You were right, it was something I ignored until pointed out.”

Richards revealed that she has now switched to a gluten-free diet after discovering the issue.

“It’s amazing to me in a short time eliminating gluten from my diet how much my thyroid has changed,” she said. “… 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.”

An enlarged thyroid, is an abnormal enlargement of your thyroid gland. Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck just below your Adam's apple.

Although goiters are usually painless, a large goiter can cause a cough and make it difficult for a person to swallow or breathe.

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This isn’t the first time fans have helped out the stars they watch on TV. Back in 2013, a nurse emailed the Flip or Flop production company after spotting a lump on host Tarek El Moussa’s neck that turned out to be stage 3 thyroid cancer.

“If she didn’t send that email, there’s a chance I wouldn’t be doing this interview right now,” the dad of two said in June, reflecting on the experience. “If she didn’t send that email, maybe there are other people out there that never would have found out they had cancer because I didn’t have my story.”

Sometimes the trolls are actually trying to help.