The thyroid gland, a butterfly shaped organ located in the front of the neck, controls the metabolism rate of the human body. It does this by secreting thyroid hormone into the blood stream, the most common hormone being thyroxine, or T4. Thyroid hormone regulates many aspects of the body, including weight gain and loss, monitoring temperature, and enabling other organs of the body, such as the brain, heart and skin, to properly function.

An overacting, underactive, or otherwise malfunctioning thyroid causes a myriad of problems to the human system. Common Thyroid Diseases include:

• Hyperthyroidism

• Hypothyroidism

• Thyroid Cancer

An individual with hyperthyroidism produces too much thyroid hormone. Diarrhea, nervousness, difficulty sleeping, rapid heartbeat, and weight loss are all symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

One of the most common types of hyperthyroidism, Grave's disease, also causes inflammation of the eyes, resulting in redness and swelling of the eye tissue. The condition often causes the eye to bulge and can affect vision. Hyperthyroidism affects 2 million Americans a year on average, the majority being female.

On the other side of the spectrum, a person with hypothyroidism often experiences dry skin, depression, constipation, weight gain, goiter, and a general slowing down of the body's functions, resulting in fatigue. Hashimoto's thyroiditis, one of the most common types of hypothyroidism, is an autoimmune disease wherein the body's immune cells attack the thyroid gland.

The last thyroid dysfunction, thyroid cancer, causes lumps, or nodules within the thyroid gland, and is the most common of all endocrine, or hormone secreting, cancers. Often genetic, thyroid cancer can also be caused by exposure to high levels of radiation. Papillary, follicular, medullary and anaplastic are all types of thyroid cancer, with Papillary being the most common.

Various treatments exist for thyroid diseases, all of which can lead to positive results in patients.

Thyroid surgery and radioactive iodine therapy are the primary means of treating thyroid cancer.

Typically the entire thyroid, or the largest portion possible, is removed from the patient. The individual will then need to be on thyroid hormone for the rest of their lives, however, patients who undergo such treatment, particularly those under 40, tend to have an excellent recovery rate and long life span. Instead of surgery, individuals may opt for radioactive iodine therapy, which strategically finds and destroys cancer cells in the thyroid. This option often works well with patients suffering from follicular or papillary cancer.

Patients with hypothyroidism are treated with replacement T4 hormone to increase their level of thyroid hormone in their system. Patients with hyperthyroidism can be treated by removing a portion of the thyroid, receiving radioactive iodine treatment or by taking antithyroid medication.

If you believe that your thyroid may be causing your symptoms, a thyroid specialist can run a series of tests to determine your condition and your best course of treatment.