Exploring Organs: Thyroid

What is a Thyroid?

Your thyroid gland is located at the base of your neck. This butterfly-shaped organ is along your windpipes and sits below your Adam’s apple.

What Does My Thyroid Do?

The thyroid is responsible for hormone regulation. Hormones that are released to control your metabolism and other functions such as:

Heart rate
Weight
Menstrual cycle
Body temperature

Thyroid Conditions

There are a variety of conditions that could occur to the thyroid including:

Thyroid cancer: The surgeons at UofL Physicians – Endocrine Surgery and UofL Physicians – Endocrine Surgery Associates also partner with the multidisciplinary oncology team at UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center for the treatment of thyroid cancer
Thyroid nodules: Growths that are large enough to be felt that form on or in your thyroid gland
Hypothyroidism: An underactive thyroid that doesn’t produce enough needed hormones

Symptoms of thyroid complications can include:

Weight gain
Heavy or irregular menstruation
Fatigue
Enlarged thyroid
Irregular heart rate

If you have any questions or concerns about your thyroid, reach out to your primary care provider. If they determine complications, you will work together with an endocrinologist to set a care plan. Visit UofLHealth.org for more information.

Tags: Endocrinology, Exploring Organs, Mahsa Javid, Thyroid

Article by: Mahsa Javid, MB, BChr, MA, DPhil, FRCS, FRCSC

Mahsa Javid, MB, BChr, MA, DPhil, FRCS, FRCSC, is an academic endocrine surgeon who earned her undergraduate, medical and master's degrees from the University of Cambridge; basic surgical training, higher specialist training, general & emergency surgery fellowship training. She also earned her doctorate degree in biomedical and clinical sciences from the University of Oxford, where she also completed her endocrine surgery fellowship before postdoctoral training at Yale University. Dr. Javid's expertise includes the management of benign and malignant endocrine disease, complex cases including reoperative surgeries, conventional open and minimally invasive procedures such as surgery under local anesthesia for neck procedures and posterior retroperitoneoscopic approach for adrenal disease. She has received FRCS and FRCSC certifications. At the UofL School of Medicine, she is an associate professor in the Department of Surgery and has been named Endowed Chair: Kenneth F. Von Roenn, M.D. Family Chair in Surgical Endocrinology. She speaks both English and Farsi.

All posts by Mahsa Javid, MB, BChr, MA, DPhil, FRCS, FRCSC