TSH, aka thyroid-stimulating hormone, is called regulating. It is produced in a gland located in the brain, namely the pituitary gland, and directly affects the production of two other hormones: T3 and T4. The latter, in turn, regulate metabolism, in particular the metabolism of proteins and vitamin A.
Detailed description of thyroid stimulating hormone
Thyrotropic hormone is produced in the anterior part of the pituitary gland. It interacts with triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), and they, in turn, affect the activity of production of thyroid-stimulating hormone by the pituitary gland. That is, thyroid-stimulating hormone provokes the production of thyroxine and triiodothyronine, and when the amount of the latter becomes sufficient for the body, they give a signal to the brain to stop or reduce the production of thyroid-stimulating hormone.
Increased TSH. Reasons
Provoke jumps in TSH diseases, mainly associated with pathological changes in the thyroid gland and pituitary gland, as well as with some poisoning, removal of organs. Possible causes of hyperthyroidism include:
leadpoisoning;
thyroid disease;
oncological diseases;
resection of internal organs;
hereditary diseases;
increased level of iodine in the body;
delayed toxicosis in pregnant women;
Hashimoto's thyroiditis;
erratic production of hormones by the body;
adrenal diseases
High levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone in the body is called hyperthyroidism. It also happens that some factors can distort the real results. For example, the content of TSH is affected by physical activity. Thyroid-stimulating hormone increases during a person's intake of a number of drugs. The value of the true result is determined only after stopping the drugs.
Symptoms
First of all, too much TSH is not defined as a disease. This condition only signals possible problems or abnormalities in the body due to a particular disease. High levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone in the body are accompanied by:
irritability;
general body lethargy;
insomnia;
unexplained and sudden weight gain;
skin becomes pale;
body temperature drops;
significantly reduced concentration;
swellings appear in various parts of the body;
problems with the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
loss of appetite
Such symptoms are typical for people who have an imbalance of the hormones thyroxine, triiodothyronine and thyroid-stimulating hormone. If aseveral of these symptoms appear, you should pass the necessary tests. Perhaps the reason is precisely the decrease in the level of the above hormones. Other symptoms may be added to the described symptoms:
reduced libido (libido);
increased liver size;
unexpected failures of the menstrual cycle;
skin disease and hair loss;
hypotension;
memory problems;
muscle pain;
appearance of infertility
Diagnosis
When symptoms appear that are characteristic of a condition when TSH is elevated, there is a reason to consult a doctor and get tested for TSH levels. It must be borne in mind that the age of the person and the time when the analysis was done are of great importance in what the result of the TSH level will be. At night, a person's TSH level is elevated, this is due to the fact that the function of all organs slows down at night. The thyroid gland also slows down its work. As for a person's age, there will be a slight difference in thyroid-stimulating hormone levels for adults and children.
For children, the following manifestations can serve as a reason for going to an endocrinologist and taking tests for thyroid-stimulating hormone: drowsiness, apathy, coldness in the hands and feet, fatigue. In young children, TSH may be elevated due to diseases of the adrenal glands, as well as due to the influence of a hereditary factor, when the child had people who suffered from hyperthyroidism in the family.
If a person has a level of thyroid-stimulating hormone above the norm, additional examinations are prescribed forelucidate the cause of this condition. The analysis is carried out in the morning, and blood is taken from a vein.
Relationship between thyroid diseases and elevated levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone
As already mentioned, there is a direct relationship between the release of the thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) and the amount of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). When there is a reduced release of T3 and T4, then there is nothing to control the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone in the blood, and its increase occurs. In turn, the thyroid gland does not just stop producing these two hormones, as a result of which a state is observed when TSH is elevated. As a rule, this happens due to its various pathological changes and diseases, as well as due to other factors. Here are some of them:
increased levels of prolactin in the body (hyperprolactinemia);
removal of the thyroid gland (a condition observed due to the resection of this gland, it is called postoperative hypothyroidism in this condition)
TSH hormone elevated, if present:
iodine poisoning;
postpartum thyroiditis
Are there other reasons? Increased TSH in women is a consequence of:
acute iodine deficiency;
autoimmune thyroiditis;
a number of body conditions (stress, insomnia, mental stress and heavy physical exertion);
older age;
radiotherapy
Newborns also have elevated levelsthyroid-stimulating hormone.
Increased TSH in women and men is caused by taking certain types of drugs - Cerucal, Eglonil, Amiodarone and hormonal drugs containing estrogen.
Tyrotropic hormone levels
As mentioned above, elevated TSH levels during the neonatal period are considered normal. In principle, this is the state in which the normal level of thyroid-stimulating hormone will be the highest. In the future, as a person grows older, this indicator will decrease and stabilize. TSH increased or decreased can be at different times of the day. As a rule, at night, namely around two in the morning, the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone is highest, and its lowest value is recorded at five or six in the evening.
As a result, newborns will have a normal state when TSH is elevated, while the norm in adults will be slightly different:
- in newborns, this is a level from 1 to 17;
- children under three months 0.5 to 11;
- from three months to a year the norm will be from 0.5 to 7;
- from three to five years the norm is 0.5-6;
- in children from five to 15 years old, the norm will be from 0.5 to 5;
- for those who are already over 15 years old, a level from 0.5 to 4 will be considered the norm.
It is necessary to take into account the following point so that the data on the hormone levels in the analysis are not distorted - this is blood donation in the morning, always on an empty stomach. Before the test, i.e. a day or two before, it is better not to drink alcohol or smokefor accurate indicators of the hormone content in the blood.
Treatment for elevated TSH
So we've learned the specific symptoms when TSH levels are elevated. What this means has been explained above. And what type of drugs are used in the treatment of a particular condition? First of all, it is not worth, even strictly forbidden, to self-medicate and independently prescribe doses and types of drugs. This must be done by a doctor, since initially the patient's blood may have a different ratio of the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone and thyroxine. Based on this ratio, the doctor selects the type of drug, its dose and duration of treatment.
It is also not recommended to use various herbs as the main treatment, that is, traditional medicine methods. They are effective, but for serious diseases and hormonal imbalances, it is better to use special medications. Moreover, if you ignore the treatment of an increased level of thyroid-stimulating hormone in the body, then thyroid cancer may develop against this background. So in some cases, when thyroid cancer appears, TSH is elevated in a person, as a rule.
In the treatment of increased concentration of thyroid-stimulating hormone in the body, a synthetically derived preparation containing the hormone thyroxine (T4) is used. Once upon a time, people used dried and ground animal thyroid glands in treatment. Now the first option is the most effective, due to the purity of the active substance. Treatment is continued until the ratio of these hormones in the blood - TSH,T3 and T4, i.e., thyrotropic, triiodothyronine and thyroxine, respectively, will not be normal. To do this, the patient should be regularly examined and tested throughout their treatment.
After this therapy, when hormonal levels have been successfully restored, the patient should be tested annually for thyroid-stimulating hormone levels from the moment of discharge to prevent relapses.
The level of thyroid-stimulating hormone during pregnancy and its changes
In this period, changes in the value of the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone are likely. They can change or remain stable, but normally the content of TSH will be approximately from 0.3 to 3 units. per litre. It would seem that in pregnant women, thyroid-stimulating hormone should be lowered, because at this time most of the woman's organs are activated and they work in an enhanced mode, including the endocrine system, which includes the thyroid gland. She actively produces iodine for the body of both the woman and her fetus.
TSH is elevated - what does this mean in women? During the gestation of the fetus, a specific hormone is produced in the body of a woman, it is called the “hormone of pregnant women”. Its medical name is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). It also stimulates the production of the hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine in the body, which is what thyroid-stimulating hormone should do in the normal state. Accordingly, its level decreases during pregnancy.
If TSH is elevated during pregnancy, then this can serve as a serious call to go toendocrinologist to identify the causes. This condition is not normal, and it can threaten the woman's fetus.
Meaning of elevated TSH level
Knowing the relationship between hormones, we can draw some conclusions from the results of the analysis of the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone. Returning to the topic again, if without it it is impossible to understand what is the reason for the increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone, we note that with a lack of iodine, the thyroid gland sends a signal to the pituitary gland. He, in response to the signal, begins to produce and release even more TSH, which, in turn, will affect the thyroid gland, forcing it to produce two hormones - thyroxine and triiodothyronine. The latter are needed for the absorption of iodine in the body. That is, from this it is concluded that the elevated level of TSH tells us about the lack of iodine in the body at the moment.
Actions for elevated TSH
First of all, you need to contact an endocrinologist. All folk remedies, herbs are unlikely to contain the hormones T3 and T4 necessary for a person in this case. Therefore, the doctor can usually prescribe in this case the following drugs:
- "Eutiroks";
- "Bagotirox";
- "L-thyroxine".
Decreased TSH
In a state where a person has a decrease in the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone in a blood test, there are certain symptoms that can indicate to the doctor in advance about the diagnosis of the patient. It's drowsinesslethargy, poor temperature tolerance, edema, memory loss, hypertension, fever. In turn, low TSH levels can cause:
- neoplasms (tumors) of the thyroid gland;
- goiter;
- traumatic lesions of the pituitary gland;
- drop in pituitary function;
- change in the proportions of hormones due to taking drugs containing hormones.
Preparation for testing
Immediately before donating blood for analysis of the content of thyroid-stimulating hormone, you should not eat. The time at which the analysis should be carried out should be in the morning. A day or two before the test, it is forbidden to consume alcohol and tobacco.
Places for testing to check the level of the hormone TSH
Referral for blood donation for analysis of thyroid-stimulating hormone should be given by an endocrinologist. It is carried out in any of the public clinics. You can also use private ones, where they give out analyzes more quickly, albeit for a fee. However, this procedure is not too expensive, compared to how much time you save by not standing in lines.
