Receiving a diagnosis of either hypo or hyper thyroid can be a mixed blessing. On one hand the individual may be relieved to know what has been causing so many health issues, yet on the other hand it can mean a lifetime of a new medication regimen. The thyroid gland is located at the front of the neck and shaped like a small butterfly, and is part of the endocrine system which works to regulate metabolism. Thyroid disease is said to affect 20 million Americans, and more than half of those affected remain undiagnosed, as symptoms are written off as anxiety or work related stress, depression or other health issues that occur as the body ages. (Thyroid Information 2016). Moreover, many women who have experienced symptoms of thyroid disease
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The normal range of TSH for most adults, as of 2016 is between 0.4 and 4.0µU/L (per the American Thyroid Association and Okosieme, Gilbert, Abraham et al., 2016). Prior to this, many doctors and laboratories used a range of 0.5 and 5.0µU/L, and some doctors still do use this higher range. However, many advocates for good thyroid health say that this range is too high, and the gap should be narrowed to less than 4.0 µU/L. Moreover, some doctors consider a patients age along with their TSH levels, and this may be a determining factor in how the person is treated. Some data suggests that as a person’s age increases, then so the acceptable range of TSH increases also. This is the case primarily for women (and men) over age 50 as, “It has been reported that serum TSH distribution progressively shifts towards higher concentration with age.” (Okosieme, Gilbert, Abraham et al., 2016). But this does not mean that all woman over age 50 who are presenting with a higher TSH level are considered to be in the normal range, because for some people, this higher level is an indicator that they are in fact mildly hypothyroid. Clearly then, this is an area where specialist diagnosis and treatment is
The normal range of TSH for most adults, as of 2016 is between 0.4 and 4.0µU/L (per the American Thyroid Association and Okosieme, Gilbert, Abraham et al., 2016). Prior to this, many doctors and laboratories used a range of 0.5 and 5.0µU/L, and some doctors still do use this higher range. However, many advocates for good thyroid health say that this range is too high, and the gap should be narrowed to less than 4.0 µU/L. Moreover, some doctors consider a patients age along with their TSH levels, and this may be a determining factor in how the person is treated. Some data suggests that as a person’s age increases, then so the acceptable range of TSH increases also. This is the case primarily for women (and men) over age 50 as, “It has been reported that serum TSH distribution progressively shifts towards higher concentration with age.” (Okosieme, Gilbert, Abraham et al., 2016). But this does not mean that all woman over age 50 who are presenting with a higher TSH level are considered to be in the normal range, because for some people, this higher level is an indicator that they are in fact mildly hypothyroid. Clearly then, this is an area where specialist diagnosis and treatment is