Your thyroid gland is one of the endocrine glands that makes hormones to regulate physiological functions in your body like metabolism (heart rate, sweating and energy consumed). Other endocrine glands include the pituitary, adrenal, parathyroid glands and specialized cells within the pancreas.

The most common thyroid disorders include: 

• An overactive gland, called hyperthyroidism
• An underactive gland, called hypothyroidism
• Enlargement due to overactivity (as in Graves’ disease) or from under-activity (as in hypothyroidism). An enlarged gland is often called a “goiter.”