THYROID BASICS

The thyroid gland is a small gland in the front of the neck that produces the hormones that drive the metabolism of every cell in the human body. There are four thyroid hormones—T1, T2, T3, and T4. Our metabolism is driven primarily by T3. T4 is the predominant thyroid hormone in our bloodstream and much of this is later converted to T3. Low thyroid function is a relatively common problem and is referred to as hypothyroidism . Some common symptoms of hypothyroidism are:

• Feeling cold, cold hands and feet, low body temperature
• Fatigue
• Memory loss
• Hair loss
• Brittle or breaking fingernails
• Constipation
• Pale, dry skin
• Swelling or puffiness of face (esp. around the eyes,) hands and feet
• Hoarse voice
• High cholesterol levels
• High blood pressure
• Unexplained weight gain
• Muscle aches and stiffness
• Joint pain, stiffness or swelling
• Muscle weakness
• Heavy menstrual periods or infertility
• Depression

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