The thyroid is located below and to the sides of the trachea and the back of the larynx,
The thyroid is a neuroendocrine gland that is present in the body of vertebrate animals. It is located below and on the sides of the trachea and the back of the larynx, being below the Adam's apple in the case of men .
To find the etymological origin of the term, it must be emphasized that we must go back to Greek. There we will discover that it comes from the word thyreoeides , which is formed from the union of thyreos , which means "shield" , and eidos , which is synonymous with "form" .
Thyroid characteristics
This gland is made up of a pair of lobes reminiscent of the appearance of butterflies , which are joined by an isthmus. In adults, the thyroid usually weighs around fifteen to thirty grams. It is responsible for producing hormones and regulating the body's sensitivity to them.
The anatomist Thomas Wharton was the first to notice the existence of the thyroid, in 1656 . Throughout history, various functions were attributed to it that science was able to determine, over time, that were non-existent, such as its ability to lubricate the larynx or reserve blood to direct it to the brain , among others.
Among the hormones produced by the thyroid, thyroxine and triiodothyronine stand out. The gland, whose control is carried out by the hypothalamus and pituitary, also synthesizes calcitonin (very important in calcium homeostasis).
Fatigue is a symptom of hyperthyroidism, a thyroid disorder.
Disorders linked to the gland
The disorder that is triggered by the appearance of toxic goiter due to the excessive secretion of a hormone known as TSH is known as hyperthyroidism . Excess thyroid hormones increase energy expenditure since metabolism increases.
However, there are other thyroid diseases that are more or less serious. This would be the case, for example, of what is known as silent thyroiditis , which is the result of swelling of the aforementioned endocrine gland and for which the causes that cause it are unknown.
Among women, the aforementioned pathology occurs more frequently, which is shown by a series of signs and symptoms such as nervousness, muscle cramps, fatigue, weight loss, irritability, frequent bowel movements or intolerance to heat. .
Likewise, we must not forget the existence of subacute thyroiditis , which is also defined as a swelling of the thyroid. In this case, it occurs in a patient after he or she has suffered a significant respiratory tract infection, such as mumps or a severe flu.
In this case, this pathology, which is quite uncommon, basically results in severe pain in the neck. However, it also has other symptoms such as fever, hoarseness, general weakness or palpable difficulty swallowing.
Hypothyroidism , for its part, arises from the presence of antithyroid antibodies that attack the thyroid and cause fewer hormones to be produced. It is usually a genetic and inherited disorder.