Thyroid part 4 of 5

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Now that we’ve covered the anatomy of the thyroid, the possible disruptors of thyroid function and the multitude of symptoms a dysfunctional thyroid can produce in the past three articles, we are now ready to review the testing necessary to diagnose a low functioning thyroid.

The traditional diagnosis of thyroid function is done by assessing how much thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) the pituitary gland produces. This is kind of an indirect measure of thyroid function. Normal levels should be between 1.0 – 1.5 milli-international units per milliliter. As the name thyroid stimulating hormone suggests, the pituitary gland produces more TSH in response to low thyroid function. This action stimulates the thyroid to produce more thyroid hormone. Hence the higher the TSH production, the more likely you are to have hypothyroidism. However, while this is the primary test, it simply may not be adequate enough in many cases.

Thyroid part 3 of 5

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Continuing our series of articles relating to the thyroid, we will identify symptoms associated with low thyroid and factors associated with higher risk of hypothyroidism.

Identifying hypothyroidism is not a cut and dried technique. Many of the symptoms are vague and overlap with other disorders. Doctors often miss a thyroid problem by relying on traditional testing. Many times people with hypothyroid can diagnose themselves by listening to your own body. Who knows you better than you? People often times have an idea something is wrong, but they can’t put their finger on what it is. They end up at the doctor, who runs the traditional tests, which all come back normal.