That butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your throat — known as your thyroid — may be small, but it packs quite a punch when it comes to your health.

The hormones this tiny gland — weighing typically less than an ounce — produces control a huge number of your bodily processes. In fact, thyroid hormones are used by every single cell in your body.

This means that your thyroid plays a large role in keeping everything functioning optimally.

When it gets out of whack, it can mean big trouble for your health. Warning signs of a thyroid disorder can often be quite subtle and are often misattributed to other issues or to stress.

In fact, according to the American Thyroid Association, up to 60 percent of the estimated 20 million Americans with thyroid problems don’t even know it's the source of their health woes.

Take a look at seven of the most common warning signs that your thyroid has gone haywire so that you know when to seek help.

1. Dry skin

You may have written off your dry, flaky skin as a sign of aging, but your thyroid could be to blame.

When your thyroid slows down, it slows your metabolism and blocks your skin's ability to secrete the natural moisturizers that normally keep it supple.

From there, it’s a short hop to dry, irritated skin. This can even cause the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

2. Disappearing eyebrows

Low thyroid can also be characterized by a condition called “madarosis.” But I like to think of it as “The Case of the Disappearing Eyebrows.”

Yes, if your thyroid has slipped from normal to hypo (or low), the outside third of your eyebrows can become thinner and thinner until they simply disappear.

3. Memory problems

Poor concentration and memory problems are also signs of low thyroid.

You may have heard this called “brain fog.”

It happens because your brain cells — just like all of the other cells throughout your body — need thyroid hormones to function optimally.

4. Fatigue

Hands down, one of the most common warning signs of hypothyroidism is feeling sluggish.

Unfortunately, since fatigue is also a common symptom in many other diseases, it can be easily overlooked.

But if you’re feeling bone-deep exhaustion, it’s time to take a look at your thyroid.

5. Constipation

Not able to go?

Feeling backed up could be the first sign of a thyroid slowdown.

Basically, thyroid slowdown also slows down your gut motility. Nothing moves, and you can end up chronically constipated.

6. Feeling cold

Your thyroid hormones keep your metabolism running.

However, when you don’t have enough of these hormones, everything comes to a halt, including the heat production inside your cells.

This can make you extremely sensitive to cold temperatures. If you find yourself struggling to stay warm… think thyroid.

7. Hair loss

Over time, low thyroid hormone levels can lead to hair loss, often due to the nutrient deficiencies that accompany a thyroid disorder.

When you look at yourself in the mirror, your hair will appear thinner over your entire scalp.

But there is good news…

Once you receive treatment and your thyroid levels improve, the condition often improves.

Helping your thyroid

If you’re experiencing one, some or all of the warning signs above, it’s important to do two things…

First, get your thyroid levels checked to establish your starting point and rule out other issues.

And second, begin a thyroid-supporting regimen that includes:

• Iodine — Provides the fuel your body needs to make your thyroid hormones
• Zinc — Helps convert T4 to the active thyroid hormone T3
• Selenium — Along with zinc, is critical to the conversion to T3
• Tyrosine — Partners with iodine to create T4 and T3 hormones

Just be aware that at least a quarter of cases of thyroid deficiency are missed by the commonly used screening tests.

Things can be further complicated by the fact that even though your blood work may be normal, you could have a sub-clinical thyroid condition where you have a problem converting T4 to T3.

This makes it vital to keep these thyroid-supporting nutrients in your daily routine.