Your thyroid gland sits in your neck and has the shape of a butterfly. It's small, but it has many functions.

Your thyroid makes hormones and releases them into your bloodstream. They travel all over your body and have many different functions.

Thyroid hormones help you:

• Use energy
• Digest food
• Stay warm
• Regulate your heartbeat
• Have strong bones
• Regulate menstrual cycles

Your body usually lets you know when your thyroid isn't working right. It's why your doctor will check it right away if you're fatigued, have weight gain or loss, or mood changes.

We treat every type of thyroid disease at Carilion. Some thyroid problems are due to how the gland functions. Others involve growths that can happen in the tissue.

All of these health issues are types of thyroid disease:

• Hyperthyroidism: When your thyroid makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs. It speeds up your metabolism, causing weight loss, sleep problems and a feeling of nervousness.
• Graves' disease: An autoimmune disorder that causes your thyroid to produce too many hormones. It's the main cause of hyperthyroidism.
• Hypothyroidism: When your thyroid doesn't make enough thyroid hormones. It slows your metabolism, often causing weight gain, fatigue and a depressed mood.
• Hashimoto's disease: An autoimmune condition that stops your thyroid from producing enough hormones. It's the main cause of hypothyroidism.
• Thyroid nodules: These are lumps or small masses that can form in the gland. Most of the time, they're not cancerous.
• Thyroid cancer: When cancerous cells form in the tissue of the thyroid gland. There are different types of thyroid cancer and most are very treatable.
• Thyroiditis: Inflammation of the thyroid gland. It can cause either hyper- or hypothyroidism.

What are the symptoms of thyroid disease? 

Symptoms of thyroid disease depend on the type you have. In fact, for hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, the symptoms tend to be opposite. And thyroid cancer often doesn't have noticeable symptoms at first. Your doctor may find it during an exam if your thyroid is swollen.

If you notice any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor:

• Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
• Extreme fatigue
• Mood changes, including either higher anxiety or a depressed feeling
• Skin changes
• Problems with your bowels
• Feeling that your heart is racing
• Menstrual irregularities, including either a lack of periods or heavy periods
• Sensitivity to heat or cold
• Feeling that your neck is swollen
• Pain when swallowing
• Voice changes that don't get better

Thyroid tests

A blood test is a simple way for your doctor to check your thyroid function. A blood test can check hormone levels and antibodies.

You might also need a thyroid ultrasound. This noninvasive test helps us see any nodules, tumors, cysts or goiters on your thyroid.

If your doctor finds a suspicious growth, they may order a biopsy. This is a fine needle aspiration. At Carilion, we do thyroid biopsies at several locations across Virginia. You may visit an endocrinology, interventional radiology or general surgery office.

During the procedure, the doctor gives you numbing medicine. You may feel a slight pinch. Most people describe the biopsy as mildly uncomfortable. It's over within a few minutes.

Thyroid problems are common and treatable. Your treatment depends on the severity of your symptoms and your risk factors for other diseases.

For hypothyroidism, we can nearly always control it with medicine that replaces the hormone your thyroid isn't making.

For hyperthyroidism, your doctor will likely prescribe medicine that stops your thyroid from making hormones. You may also need a medicine called a beta blocker to bring down your heart rate.

Some people benefit from radioactive iodine therapy. This radiation treatment targets thyroid cells and stops them from making too much hormone.

Endocrine surgery to remove your thyroid is also an option.

Thyroid cancer treatment

Your team will work together to treat your thyroid cancer. Most thyroid cancers are very successfully treated with:

• Thyroid hormone therapy
• Targeted therapy that attacks specific cancer cells
• Surgery to remove the thyroid
• Radioactive iodine therapy