Thyroid

The thyroid gland is a small organ that’s located in the front of the neck, wrapped around the windpipe (trachea). It’s shaped like a butterfly, smaller in the middle with two wide wings that extend around the side of your throat. The thyroid is a gland. You have glands throughout your body, where they create and release substances that help your body do a specific thing. Your thyroid makes hormones that help control many vital functions of your body.

A malfunctioning thyroid gland can affect the whole body. When the body produces too much thyroid hormone, a condition called hyperthyroidism can occur. Too little thyroid hormone is called hypothyroidism.