Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH): What It Measures
The thyroid gland sits just below the larynx.
The thyroid gland is a small gland that sits just below the larynx (voice box) and controls the body’s metabolism. Think of it as the engine in the body because it affects the speed with which all cellular processes are carried out. It impacts the heart rate, the digestive system, the respiratory rate and how fast our body burns calories among other things.
When the brain senses that they thyroid is underactive, it releases a hormone to stimulate the thyroid. This hormone is called “thyroid stimulating hormone” or TSH. If the thyroid is overactive, there are small amounts of TSH circulating in the blood because there is no need to stimulate the thyroid. If there are not enough thyroid hormones in circulation then more TSH is released to stimulate the thyroid. When there are enough circulating thyroid hormones, TSH levels return to normal.
We measure the TSH levels circulating in the body if we suspect the thyroid is not functioning correctly and many times we may measure the hormones produced by the thyroid, T4 and T3.
When an individual is put on thyroid replacement medication, we measure the TSH levels to establish the correct dose. When the dose is being adjusted, you will probably have your TSH levels checked every 6 to 8 weeks. Once you are on your correct dose, the TSH generally only needs to be checked yearly.
For more information, check out Thyroid Gland Disorders the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Leave a comment!