Hello and welcome to Dishing of Nutrition's Ask a Nutritionist podcast. My name is Brandy

Burrow and I'm a registered and licensed dietitian here at nutritional weight and wellness.

Today we're doing a special episode all about

the thyroid and specifically symptoms of hypothyroidism. So January is thyroid awareness month. So I just

wanted to take this opportunity to help our listeners learn more about this really important gland.

So let's talk about what the thyroid is. The thyroid is a gland that's shaped kind of like a butterfly, and it sits at the

base of your neck. So it's a really small gland, but it plays a very significant role in your health.

Your thyroid hormones affect pretty much every cell,

every tissue, every single organ in the body. So this is a really important piece of how we function.

And a well-functioning thyroid will help the body use energy efficiently. It's going to help you regulate your temperature.

And basically, it allows your brain, your heart, your muscles, and all other organs to function

properly. So you may have an over or under functioning thyroid and not even realize it. The thyroid is usually an overlooked issue when it comes

to addressing other health issues. The most common condition related to thyroid function is

hypothyroidism. So hypothyroidism basically means that your thyroid is underactive and does not produce enough of the thyroid hormone.

90% of thyroid imbalances are due to hypothyroidism. And the most common symptoms of hypothyroidism are extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, low blood pressure, depression, brain fog, feeling cold all the time.

You might even see some irregularities with your menstrual cycles.

And you can start seeing hair loss, poor hair growth, poor nail growth. I also see changes in digestion.

And you may also see unexplained weight gain. And unfortunately, many people with these symptoms

have been prescribed medication to just address the symptoms.

Maybe they've been prescribed antidepressants or sleeping pills or maybe a laxative

if they've developed constipation.

Or maybe they've just gotten the advice you need to exercise more and eat less in order

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