Greenville SC Thyroid Clinic Answers – Why Is A TSH Test Not The Best Indicator Of Thyroid Problems?
When you visit your GP for symptoms of a thyroid problem, it’s likely your TSH levels will be tested. This is the most common way practitioners evaluate patients for thyroid conditions within standard medicine. Unfortunately, TSH values are not the best indicators of thyroid problems. What’s needed is a much more in-depth investigation into exactly what is causing your symptoms.
TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone is released by the pituitary gland. It stimulates the production of thyroxine in the thyroid, which is also known as T4. T4 is converted into the active thyroid hormone triiodothyronine, or T3. When T4 or T3 are low, a low metabolic body rate occurs, which is detected by the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus then releases a hormone that stimulates the pituitary gland to release more TSH.
This is why TSH levels are checked through blood work in cases of suspected thyroid dysfunction. If TSH levels are high, it seems likely to conclude the thyroid is not producing enough T4. If TSH levels are too low, it’s presumed the thyroid is overactive, or overproducing hormones.
You may be put on medication if your healthcare provider determines through TSH testing that your thyroid is sluggish. The goal is to alleviate symptoms of low metabolism such as fatigue, low libido, depression and weight gain by increasing thyroid hormone levels. Unfortunately, medication may successfully bring TSH levels within a range that is considered normal while at the same time, symptoms continue or worsen.
TSH levels are not sufficient to provide a comprehensive picture of what is going on with your thyroid or your health. If you do in fact have low thyroid, testing TSH levels will not tell you why. It’s possible, for instance, you actually have a conversion problem. Maybe T4 is not successfully being converted to the usable form T3. It could be your cells are not absorbing or utilizing T3 properly.
It is also very likely that if you have low thyroid symptoms, you have the autoimmune condition known as Hashimoto’s disease. Hashimoto’s is the number one cause of low thyroid. Autoimmune responses can cause a wide range of very discomforting symptoms, and they tend to worse over time.
Although it is not difficult to test for, identifying Hashimoto’s is not typically a priority in standard medicine. The focus tends to be on TSH levels and bringing those into normal range, while the cause of the symptoms is assumed to be thyroid dysfunction. If you have Hashimoto’s, what’s causing the thyroid dysfunction and all of your other symptoms should be a very big concern. Because as long the autoimmune response is ignored, your thyroid condition will continue to deteriorate.
Functional wellness is a great choice if you’d like to be fully evaluated for thyroid problems, including Hashimoto’s disease. A practitioner who is trained in functional wellness will utilize many tests to determine exactly what is going on with your hormones, your glands, and the multiple systems that may be involved in your condition and impacting your health. Thorough evaluation is the first step toward healing and improving how you feel, as once the true causes of your symptoms are identified, they can be effectively managed.
