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The top 5 thyroid blood tests I recommend will help reveal how
well your thyroid is working. Also discover why you need to check more than
TSH.
For
most people the standard thyroid test used to assess their thyroid health is
the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test. This test measures the amount of
TSH circulating in your bloodstream.
TSH
is a thyroid hormone however it is not actually produced by the thyroid. It is produced by
the pituitary gland located deep within the brain.
When
TSH is released by the pituitary gland it travels to the thyroid via the
bloodstream to signal to the thyroid to get busy making your essential thyroid
hormones.
The
two main hormones produced by the thyroid are: thyroxine (T4) and
triiodothyronine (T3). Greater quantities of TSH are released when the body
requires more T4 and T3.
Could you have an underactive thyroid despite having a ‘normal’
TSH?
Testing
thyroid health status is controversial. Due to restraints within the medical
system the stand alone TSH test is regarded as the gold standard to check your
thyroid health.
Individuals
are often advised no further investigation is necessary when their TSH test
result falls within the acceptable reference range. This can be despite the
fact they are displaying the typical signs of a thyroid in crisis.
A
TSH test result may appear ‘normal’ but this can be misleading and does not
automatically rule out a low thyroid issue.
Simply
testing TSH also raises questions about what level should be considered
adequate and the validity of using a wide reference range. Current research
shows TSH between 0.5 and 2.0 mIU/L is ideal.
What are the top thyroid blood tests?
A
single test of TSH is often inadequate. If you suspect your thyroid is
underactive it is a good idea to discuss comprehensive thyroid testing with a
skilled healthcare practitioner.
Testing
more than TSH will help reveal how well your thyroid is actually working and is
useful to monitor your thyroid health recovery.
Comprehensive
testing includes an evaluation of the key thyroid hormones. Testing free T4 and
T3 provides clues as to how much of these hormones are ‘free’ and available for
uptake and use throughout the body.
If
you rely on simply testing TSH alone and do not measure these two main thyroid
hormones you are missing critical parts of the puzzle.
In
addition, when you assess the amount of circulating T4 and T3 in the
bloodstream it provides an overall picture of how much T4 is converting to the
more potent T3. For many people with a thyroid problem their bodies are not
converting T4 effectively through to T3.
When
T3 levels rise it is usual to notice improvements in low thyroid symptoms. T3
helps stimulate metabolism which has far-reaching effects in the body including
sparking energy metabolism, fat burning for weight loss and reducing thyroid
hair loss.
Under
normal conditions your body converts T4 to both T3 and ‘reverse T3’, which has
the opposite effects of T3. The body quickly eliminates reverse T3 if it is not
required to put the brakes on metabolism. Low T3 can indicate T4 is not
converting effectively to T3 and may in fact be creating excess amounts of
reverse T3.
Too much
reverse T3 is rapidly produced when you are under enormous stress.
This then leads to the common symptoms of a sluggish thyroid.
Only
a specific test for reverse T3 can identify high levels of this inactive form
of T3. Reverse T3 dominance syndrome is diagnosed when reverse T3 remains
elevated.
Evaluating
thyroid antibodies levels will confirm an active thyroid autoimmune disorder.
Most commonly elevated levels of thyroid antibodies are associated with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis which is a chronic
inflammatory condition of the thyroid.
In summary, the top 5 thyroid blood tests I recommend are:
·
thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
·
free T4 (FT4)
·
free T3 (FT3)
·
thyroid antibodies
·
reverse T3 (RT3)
When
discussing getting thyroid blood tests, you should also mention if you
have a family history of thyroid problems and definitely list your thyroid
related symptoms.
Low
thyroid symptoms are significant indicators that your thyroid is not working
well and should not be ignored.
The
most common low thyroid symptoms include fatigue, feeling the cold, dry skin
and hair, low libido, weight gain, menstrual irregularities, mood changes, low
blood pressure, heart palpitations, hair loss and muscle weakness. Your
individual symptoms should be carefully considered along with the thyroid blood
test results.
You
may also want to mention if you have had any serious infections such as
hepatitis, Epstein-Barr virus or cytomegalovirus. These viruses are often
linked to chronic
fatigue syndrome. It is not unusual to see raised reverse T3 levels
in response to chronic illness.
Read
the following related articles:
Author Bio:
Louise O’ Connor,
the author of The Natural Thyroid Diet –The 4-Week Plan to Living Well, Living Vibrantly, who
is a specialist in Thyroid Health. She is a highly regarded Australian
Naturopath and founder of Wellnesswork.
The Natural Thyroid
Diet goes beyond diet advice and offers practical and effective ways to achieve
healthy thyroid levels within just a short period of time. For more details,
Click on
The-Natural-Thyroid-Diet.com
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