The thyroid gland is a small organ that’s located in the front of the neck, wrapped around the windpipe aka the trachea. It is shaped like a butterfly, smaller in the middle with two wide wings that extend around the side of your throat. Your thyroid has an important job to do — releasing and controlling the levels of thyroid hormone. The main role of the thyroid hormone is to control many vital functions of your body including your metabolism. Thyroid disorders are very common. In fact, about 12% of people will experience abnormal thyroid function at some point during their lives, and an estimated 20 million people in the Unites States are suffering from some type of thyroid disorder.

Hypothyroidism, also called underactive thyroid, is when the thyroid gland doesn’t make enough thyroid hormones to meet your body’s needs. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. Thyroid hormones control the way the body uses energy, so they affect nearly every organ in your body, even the way your heart beats. Without enough thyroid hormones, many of your body’s functions slow down.