Are
you unable to lose weight? Feel anxious or depressed? Experiencing
hair loss? Low energy levels? Overly sensitive to cold weather? Is
the outer 3rd of your eyebrow thinning? If so, you may have a
sluggish thyroid.
Your thyroid is vital to your health and it is the
master of your metabolism. It is your body’s internal thermostat,
regulating temperature by secreting two hormones, T3 and T4 that
control your ability to burn calories and use energy. The thyroid
controls your weight, body temperature, heart rate, energy levels,
menstrual regularity and muscle strength.
The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped,
hormone-producing tissue the size of a walnut located at the lower
front of the neck just below the Adam’s apple. Every cell in your
body needs small amounts of thyroid hormone to function optimally.
Hypothyroidism is a health condition in which
there’s insufficient thyroid activity. Approximately 27 million
Americans are experiencing a thyroid disorder, and less than 25% of
those with an under active thyroid have been properly diagnosed or
treated. Some early symptoms are mistaken for fatigue, anxiety, or
aging. Untreated hypothyroidism dramatically increases your risk of
serious health concerns and degenerative diseases.
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is secreted by the
pituitary gland in your subconscious brain. In early stages of
hypothyroidism, the pituitary gland releases more and more TSH,
causing elevated TSH levels. This causes the thyroid to work overtime
to secrete more thyroxin (T4) and T3, the biologically active form of
thyroid. Most of the T4 produced is converted to T3 by your liver. If
the TSH is more than 0.5 and less than 3.0, there is a 90%
probability it’s anterior pituitary hypo-function.
Measuring different hormones in the blood can
determine if the thyroid gland is working properly. To most
effectively screen for hypothyroidism and other thyroid imbalances,
request blood tests that also include thyroid antibodies. It’s
recommended that all individuals be tested for hypothyroidism by the
age of 50 as well as women who are or are planning to become
pregnant.
Most
doctors only test TSH. TSH alone is
not
a thorough screening of thyroid function.
One study showed that individuals with TSH values
more than 2.0 have an increased risk of developing clinically
significant thyroid deficiency over the next 20 years. Other
studies show that TSH values more than1.9 indicate risk of
autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland. Another
study showed that TSH values more than 4.0 increases the likelihood
of heart disease in postmenopausal women.
Suggested Thyroid Testing
Thyroid
Stimulating Hormone (TSH).
Beware
most all of the so called “normal” ranges, they are simply dead
wrong.
The ideal level for TSH is between 1 and 1.5 mIU/L.
T4 panel
- Free T4 – The normal level of free T4 is between 0.9 and 1.8 ng/dl.
- T4 Thyroxine – optimal levels are 8-12.5
- Free Thyroxine Index – optimal levels are
1.5-5
T3 Panel
- Free T3 – Optimal ranges are between 1.8-5.4
- T3 Uptake – optimal levels are 27-37
- T3 Total – optimal ranges are 72-170
- Reverse T3
- Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody
– optimal ranges are 0-19
