Thyroid issues are far more common than lab values for TSH will indicate.
Sitting at the front of our neck and shaped like a butterfly or shield, the thyroid regulates such amazing aspects of being alive as temperature, digestion, metabolism, hair and skin health, reflexes, pain, and mental status. I like to think of it as the body’s metronome keeping pace in all of our cells.
If the thyroid is too active, or hyper, then some or many areas of the body can move too fast. There may be diarrhea, sensations of heat, and anxiety.
When the thyroid is too low, or hypo, which is far more common btw, then there’s an overall sensation of slowing down… The common symptoms are constipation, a feeling of being cold (these are the people bundled in sweaters when everyone else is in a T-shirt) or cold hands and feet, unexplained weight gain, fatigue, and low motivation.
TSH, or Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, is the most commonly run marker to assess for thyroid function. It is a pituitary hormone that pulls back on its signal if the thyroid seems too keen and needs to be settled down. It turns up the volume to encourage (or yell at!) the thyroid to work harder if the brain sense a need for more thyroid hormone. But it is not a thyroid hormone!
Assessing the levels of hormones that are released directly from the thyroid and then converted into their active forms elsewhere in the body, I’m talking about free T4 and free T3, can be eye-opening. As can a peek at thyroid antibodies to indicate if there is an autoimmune component to thyroid symptoms.
If you have a family history of thyroid imbalances and/or have any symptoms listed above then please come in for a chat about your thyroid health. With deeper testing than just TSH we can work towards optimal health and energy from the thyroid out!