“What do my thyroid test results mean?”

This is a question often asked by many thyroid patients. We know that these blood tests are a measure of thyroid hormone production and that they provide a diagnosis of your thyroid function
Have you ever had your doctor diagnose you with hypothyroidism and then show you the test results saying your TSH levels are way above where they should be so you have hypothyroidism an underactive thyroid? Now you are slightly confused because above is under and under is above. The next thing you know the doctor is telling you about this t4 and t3 with numbers associated to those as well only this time there’s something in the thyroid test results where under is underactive. This can become confusing at a time when you are being told that you have a thyroid disorder. Hopefully the following will help you to understand how these thyroid test results measure thyroid hormone levels and what the diagnosis means.

Thyroid Test Results – What is TSH?

TSH is a thyroid stimulating hormone that is secreted out of the pituitary gland. TSH stimulates or signals the thyroid gland to release t4 and t3 hormone. When your thyroid isn’t releasing enough t4 and t3 the pituitary gland releases higher levels of TSH as an effort to get the thyroid gland to produce more t4 and t3. This is why your doctor will diagnose you with hypothyroidism when your TSH levels are higher than normal.

The pituitary works in reverse where hyperthyroidism or an over active thyroid is present. Hyperthyroidism is when the thyroid gland is releasing too much t4 and t3. When that happens the pituitary gland releases less TSH in effort to slow down the thyroid glands production of t4 and t3.

Thyroid Blood Test Results

Now let’s take a look at thyroid tests, thyroid test results and how they apply to hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism

The TSH thyroid test normal range is 0.5 – 5.5

Total t4 thyroid test normal range is   4.5 – 12.5

Free t4 thyroid test normal range is     0.7 – 2.0

Total t3 thyroid test normal range is    80 – 220

Free t3 thyroid test normal range is     2.3 – 4.2

*The differences between total t3 and total t4 and free t3 and free t4 is that things like proteins and medications can alter total t3 and total t4 hormone levels giving them inconsistent unreliable totals while free t3 and free t4 hormone levels are not altered by these things so they give more accurate thyroid test results.

With this in mind we can now look at how these test results help your physician diagnose your thyroid disease.

If your:

Thyroid test results – Pituitary gland Issue:

Total t4 = below normal – less than 4.5 and TSH = below normal less than 0.5 – There could be an issue with your pituitary.

Thyroid test results – Hyperthyroidism Issue:

TSH = below normal less than 0.5 – You may have hyperthyroidism – an overactive thyroid condition

Thyroid test results – Hypothyroidism Issue:

TSH = above normal more than 5.5 – You may have hypothyroidism – an underactive thyroid condition

Total t4 = below normal – less than 4.5 and TSH = above normal more than 5.5 – This indicates hypothyroidism – an underactive thyroid condition.

Free t4 = below normal – less than 0.7 – This indicates hypothyroidism – an underactive thyroid condition

Total t3 = below normal – less than 80 – This indicates hypothyroidism – an underactive thyroid condition

Free t3 = below normal – less than 2.3 – This indicates hypothyroidism – an underactive thyroid condition

*A lump or swelling in the front of your neck could indicate thyroid cancer and your doctor should send you for an ultrasound of your thyroid and other thyroid cancer tests available.

Hopefully this post on thyroid test results will better help thyroid patients understand what the doctors are talking about when they discuss your thyroid test results with you from this point forward.

Hypothyroidism Treatment – Start at the Beginning

There are many causes for hypothyroidism. the most common cause being auto immune diseases such as hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Prior to any hypothyroidism treatment it must be determined what is causing your low thyroid condition.

I will once again start by restating the initial common symptoms and signs of an underactive thyroid.

Common symptoms of hypothyroidism:

• Fatigue which can at times causes you to be lethargic because all you want to do is sleep.
• Unexplained weight gain and difficulty losing weight
• Constipation
• Sluggishness
• Depression
• Memory loss, loss of mental cognition or difficulty concentrating (this is huge)
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Pale, dry skin
• Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
• Muscle weakness
• Heavier than normal menstrual periods
• Abnormal periods in general
• Brittle fingernails and hair or hair loss

The myth about hypothyroidism and weight gain:

Yes, when you have hypothyroidism you do gain weight however obesity is not one of the medical conditions caused by hypothyroidism.

On average, with proper hypothyroidism treatment, and if your hypothyroidism is brought under control and properly maintained, then you really shouldn’t gain more than 10 to 15 pounds. If you do gain more than this then you should probably re-examine your eating and exercise habits and figure out where the rest of the weight gain is coming from.

Doctors and Hypothyroidism Treatments

More than likely a primary care doctor will be the one that will initially test patients with hypothyroidism for and discover your hypothyroidism. From that point forward it’s usually the best idea to be treated by an endocrinologist because they generally specialize in treating thyroid disease and can recommend the best hypothyroidism treatment by properly measuring your hormone deficiency.

Check-ups

In order to determine what’s causing your thyroid dysfunction your endocrinologist will conduct blood tests to check your thyroid hormones and they should then conduct a physical examination as well.

During the physical examination the doctor will check the typical vitals, run through the list of symptoms with you asking if you are currently experiencing any of them and last move on to checking your fingernails, your hands and feet for possible bloating then they should feel around on the thyroid gland, with their fingers, checking for any abnormalities.

If they find any suspicious abnormalities on your thyroid gland then they should send you for an ultrasound in order to rule out the possibilities of nodules, goiter, thyroid cancer or any other thyroid disorders.

At first your check-ups should happen every 6-8 weeks until your medication is regulated and after that every 6-12 months for the rest of your life if you have permanent hypothyroidism.

Thyroid Medication

Once you have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism your doctor will prescribe a hormone replacement medication. Your medication is not something to fear. If you properly take your medication, it will help you to get back to functioning normally and is the main factor in any hypothyroidism treatment. One of the more commonly prescribed medications is levothyroxine.

The thing that you have to become and remain aware of is the fact that this medicine is a thyroid hormone replacement medication. It is a synthetic hormone meant to replace what the body is lacking in normal thyroid hormone production. Simply put it’s meant for when your thyroid gland can no longer produce enough thyroid hormone to function on a normal level.

When thyroid medication is not taken as directed it is then that it can cause problems with your health. It is not a diet pill and should never be thought of or treated as if it were.

Thyroid Dysfunction: Is Not Always an Issue With the Thyroid Gland

The thyroid gland is not the only gland that can cause hypothyroidism, it can also be caused by issues with the pituitary gland. Again your endocrinologist would be able to figure out if this is the case and set you up with an appropriate hypothyroidism treatment.

Causes Of Hypothyroidism

Below we will explore some of the causes of hypothyroidism. These causes range from the foods that we eat or supplements that we take to more severe reasons such as our thyroids coming under attack from our own bodies. Although the causes of hypothyroidism vary there aren’t as many as there are symptoms of hypothyroidism. We’ll touch on them first.

Hypothyroidism Symptoms

In case at this point you are thinking either, what are the symptoms of hypothyroidism or how would I know if I have a thyroid problem, I’ll reiterate a few of the symptoms.

If you currently have fatigue, unexplained weight gain, an enlarged thyroid gland or inflammation at the front of your neck, dry skin and hair, depression and constipation contact your doctor and have him or her run blood tests to see if you have a thyroid condition. Your doctor will be able to tell if your body is producing too little or too much thyroid hormone.

There are in essence two kinds of hypothyroidism, temporary and permanent hypothyroidism. Your doctor will determine which one you have. The conditions tend to affect more women than men.

Causes Of Hypothyroidism That Are Temporary

In the case of temporary hypothyroidism, your thyroid problems can be caused by thyroiditis, too much iodine (which can actually worsen existing hypothyroidism), to little iodine (causing an iodine deficiency) and various medications especially if you are pre-disposed to hypothyroidism through a family history.

Because the food and cooking supplies in United States contain plenty of iodine it’s unusual to see hypothyroidism which is caused by an iodine deficiency in this country. We are actually more likely to see this caused by an over intake or consumption of iodine in those who use iodine supplements, such as kelp pills, that are sold in health food stores and aren’t regulated by the FDA and therefore tend to exceed the recommended daily allowance. It’s still recommended however that people who are hypothyroid stay away from soy and soy based products.

Causes Of Hypothyroidism That Are Permanent

With permanent hypothyroidism the thyroid gland is damaged and cannot be cured. However your hypothyroidism can be treated, on a permanent basis, with success under proper medical advice, diagnosis, treatment and prescribed, proper levels of thyroid hormone medicine.

Always have your doctor provide medical advice and proper information with regard to your thyroid disorder whether you suffer from hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. (See Hypothyroidism Treatment)

More Causes Of Hypothyroidism You should Consider

• Autoimmune diseases: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, it is an autoimmune disease. With Hashimoto’s thyroiditis the immune system attacks the thyroid because it views the thyroid gland as a foreign object and then creates antibodies that over time shut down the thyroid gland.

A couple of other autoimmune diseases that put people at high risk for hypothyroidism are systemic lupus and type 1 diabetes.
Although pregnancy doesn’t actually cause hypothyroidism, a thyroid problem can develop both during and after pregnancy.

• Pituitary gland disorders: Issues with the pituitary gland such as pituitary surgery and tumors can slow or stop production of the tsh hormone which then causes it to send messages to the thyroid to decrease t3 and t4 hormones thus causing your hypothyroidism.

• Exposure to radiation or radiation treatment: The radioactive iodine that is used in these treatments destroys part or all, of the thyroid. Therefore if you’ve ever been treated with radioactive iodine this could cause you to develop thyroid disease.

• Thyroid surgery: Naturally if either part or all of your thyroid has been removed it may or will never fully function, I say may because on rare occasions a partial thyroid can still function enough to create a persons necessary, required amounts of thyroid hormone.

Some reasons why a person would need to have thyroid surgeries would be if they were diagnosed with goiter, thyroid cancer, Graves disease or thyroid nodules. In most cases after such surgeries thyroid hormone replacement becomes a necessity for the body to properly function on a metabolic level.

Now that we understand the causes of hypothyroidism, it’s pretty safe to say that there are very few steps that can be taken in order to prevent hypothyroidism and at most with the help of medical professionals we can however control the affects of this disease.