The thyroid is a gland, which is located at the base of the neck and in front of the trachea. It has two sides and a butterfly shape.
The main function of the thyroid gland is to maintain a steady rhythm in the metabolism, this means that it should not go neither very fast nor very slow.
The thyroid is controlled by the pituitary gland, this gland makes the hormone that stimulates the thyroid (TSH).
There are two types of thyroid diseases: Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
Hypothyroidism refers to when there is thyroid hormone deficiency in the blood, which slows down the rate of metabolism in the body.
Hyperthyroidism is so named because of excess thyroid hormone, which increases the rate of metabolism.
To make the diagnosis of the thyroid it is necessary to do an examination and some tests.