The thyroid gland is located at the base of the neck just below the adam’s apple. The thyroid produces two main hormones called T3 and T4 which are transported in the blood to all parts of the body. These hormones control the rate of many activities in your body including how fast calories are burned and how fast or slow a person’s heart rate is. Combined, these activities are often referred to as metabolism.
A thyroid test will indicate if the thyroid gland is compromised and is producing too few, or too many, hormones resulting in the metabolism either slowing down or speeding up. These conditions are referred to as an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) or overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). When these occur it is important that the person seeks thyroid treatment.