Thyroid
Body Temperature and Pulse rate in Hypothyroidism
Prior to the current use of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) to assess thyroid function, doctors used much simpler, yet highly effective ways to grade thyroid function. Doctors in the 1940’s used signs and symptoms to make a working diagnosis and relied on basal metabolic rate to confirm the diagnosis. Basal body temperature, metabolism and heart…
Read MoreWhat is Thyroid Hormone Conversion?
Normal Thyroid Physiology When we refer to ‘thyroid hormones’ we are talking about T3 and T4. They are the ones the thyroid gland secretes. T4 is more stable in the blood and better for transport around the body; T3 is more biologically active. Of the thyroid hormones produced, 85-90% is T4 and 10-15% is T3.…
Read MoreWhat is Hypothyroid Disease?
Hypothyroidism is the term used for abnormally low activity of the thyroid gland. Since the thyroid gland serves so many functions, signs and symptoms are varying and can affect many aspects of human health. Hypothyroidism is diagnosed by signs and symptoms, and confirmed with blood tests. It affects about 1 in 4,000 newborns and approximately…
Read MoreConfusing Blood Work While Taking Thyroxin
Thyroid medications (such as Eltroxin and Synthroid) are some of the most prescribed medications in the world. Patients taking these medicationss often undergo routine blood work to track the progress of their hypothyroidism. Often times, patients taking thse thyroxin based medications have blood work that doesn’t make sense based on their symptoms. This article will…
Read MoreConfusing Thyroid Blood Work
Normal Lab Testing Thyroid Function Tests (TFTs) are among the most commonly requested lab investigations. For most of the population, interpreting the lab work is fairly straightforward when we look at a combination of TSH, T4 and perhaps T3. Learn more about the routine lab work here. For a quick review of Basic Thyroid Anatomy…
Read MoreConfusing Thyroid Blood Work? Consider Thyroid Binding Proteins
Thyroid lab tests are commonly run. Oftentimes, the lab results make sense and treatment is straightforward. However, there are a lot of cases where the lab results don’t correlate with your symptoms, or the lab results contradict each other. Click here to learn more about how thyroid test results can be confusing. This article focuses…
Read MoreConfusing Thyroid Blood Work? Consider Assay Interference
When your doctor assesses or treats your thyroid function, they will usually rely on blood work. Sometimes, we see confusing blood test results, which don’t follow the predictable relationships between the various hormones being tested. Normal Testing Usually, testing is straightforward, and results align with symptoms. In cases of hypothyroidism, we expect elevated TSH and…
Read MoreConfusing Thyroid Blood Work? Consider Drug Interactions
Thyroid lab tests are commonly run. Oftentimes, the lab results make sense and treatment is straightforward. However, there are a lot of cases where the lab results don’t correlate with your symptoms, or the lab results contradict each other. Click here to learn more about how thyroid test results can be confusing. This article focuses…
Read MoreConfusing Thyroid Blood Work? Consider Non-Thyroidal Illness
When your doctor assesses or treats your thyroid function, they will usually rely on blood work. In a lot of patients suffering from hypothyroidism, blood test results are confusing, and don’t follow the expected findings; one cause is non-thyroidal illness. Normal Testing Usually, testing is straightforward and results align with symptoms. In cases of hypothyroidism, we…
Read MoreDietary Goitrogens and Thyroid Function
To Summarize: Goitrogens are substances which may interfere with thyroid function They may interfere with the thyroid gland and how the thyroid hormones are made Certain foods contain dietary goitrogens. Those foods are otherwise healthy, good foods. People with low functioning thyroid need to be aware of these, and may need to avoid them Thyroid…
Read More