Thyroid

The thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, just in front of the trachea (windpipe). One of its main functions is to produce hormones that help regulate the body’s metabolism – the process that turns food into energy. Many of the body’s functions slow down when the thyroid does not produce enough of these hormones. Testing of TSH levels in the blood is considered the best initial test for hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid gland, is where your thyroid does not produce enough hormones. Common signs of an underactive thyroid are tiredness, weight gain and feeling depressed.