What Does Your Thyroid Do?
Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck that produces hormones regulating nearly every organ.
Key Functions
- Metabolism: controls how fast you burn calories
- Heart rate: affects speed and contractility
- Body temperature: maintains warmth
- Brain development: critical in fetus and infant
- Growth: works with growth hormone
- Cholesterol: influences LDL processing
How It Works
- Produces T4 (80%) and T3 (20%)
- T4 converts to T3 in tissues
- T3 drives cellular metabolism
- Pituitary monitors levels and adjusts TSH
Signs of Thyroid Problems
- Underactive: fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, dry skin
- Overactive: anxiety, weight loss, rapid heart rate, heat intolerance
Source: American Thyroid Association, NLM MedlinePlus.
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