The thyroid gland secretes three hormones and is located in the neck below the larynx. Hypothyroidism is a deficiency of thyroid hormones that causes disorders like Hashimoto's disease, thyroid nodules, cretinism, myxedema, and hypomenorrhoea. Hyperthyroidism is an overproduction of thyroid hormones and causes disorders including Graves' disease and different types of goiter. Common thyroid disorders include Hashimoto's disease, an autoimmune attack on the thyroid; thyroid nodules, abnormal growths on the thyroid; and cretinism in children, causing dwarfism and mental retardation from untreated hypothyroidism in early life.