TSH normal range

Are you familiar with the TSH normal range? Do you know why there is a need to maintain the TSH within the standard levels?  But first, do you know what TSH stands for?

What is TSH?

The pituitary gland regulates all of the endocrine glands in the body. One of the endocrine glands that it controls is the thyroid gland which is located in the neck. The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormones when the pituitary gland senses that there are low levels of thyroid hormones in the body. The pituitary gland would release a thyroid stimulating hormone to the thyroid gland to stimulate the release of the said hormones. The thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH, may be regarded as a less importantplayer in the process, but it should be noted that even if the thyroid stimulating hormone plays a small part, it carries a big responsibility. Just like any other hormones in the body, if the TSH normal range is maintained then there would be a smoother flow of the activities of the endocrine glands.

How can the TSH normal range be determined?

 Measuring the TSH level in the body can be done throughthe Thyroid Stimulating Hormone test. The thyroid stimulating hormone test is conducted to evaluate the performance of the thyroid gland. The test is used to diagnose a person with symptoms of thyroid disorder, hypofunction of the thyroid gland, and evaluation of the thyroid gland condition. It is also used as a screening for newborn babies to evaluate if the newborn has an underactive thyroid gland or if the TSH normal range exists. Adults aged more than 35 years old, pregnant women and post partum mothers are encouraged to undergo the thyroid stimulating hormone test.

The result of the thyroid stimulating hormone test may yield a TSH normal range; but if the result shows an abnormality in the TSH levels then there must be an ongoing thyroid disorder. When the TSH level is higher than normal, there is a possibility that the person has pituitary gland problems such as pituitary adenoma. Any pituitary gland issue affects the TSH normal range since the pituitary gland controls the production of the TSH. A person who has undergonea removal of the thyroid may show high TSH levels due to the low quantity of the thyroid hormone.

On the other hand, if the TSH level is lesser than the normal range, this would signify that the thyroid gland is hyperactive due to thyroid gland adenoma. The excessive production of the thyroid hormone would signal the pituitary gland not to produce TSH since there is already too much thyroid hormone. This may also indicate that the person is abusing or excessively using thyroid medications especially if the person had his or her thyroid gland removed. There is also a possibility that the pituitary gland is injured,and therefore, is not able to produce enough thyroid stimulating hormones in the body.

Since there are two types of thyroid hormones, namely, the triiodothyronine or T3 and the thyroxine or T4, the results also varydepending on these two types. If the thyroid stimulating hormone is high but the T3 and T4 levels are just normal, then there can be hypothyroidism. If the thyroid stimulating hormone is low but the T3 and T4 are high, there can be hyperthyroidism. The TSH normal range of a person is 0.3 to 3.0 mIU per L.

What are the diseases associated with abnormal TSH values?

One of the diseases that result from high levels of TSH is hypothyroidism, but this is not the sole cause of the disease. There may be an autoimmune disorder, thyroidectomy, radioactive iodine therapy and anti-thyroid medications taken that contributed to the development of the disorder. Hypothyroidism in adults is called Myxedema, while in children it is called Cretinism. A person with hypothyroidism may experience slowed physical and mental reactions, dry hair and skin, constipation, bradycardia and slow metabolism.

When the value is lower than the TSH normal range, the person could be suffering from hyperthyroidism. In hyperthyroidism, the person’s metabolic rate and body heat production increase causing manifestations such as hypertension, tachycardia, high body temperature, diaphoresis, diarrhea, exophthalmos and amenorrhea for women. Careful thyroid hormone monitoring is needed to maintain the TSH normal range because if the TSH level is not steady, the person is at risk of having thyroid storm which is a life threatening condition.

The TSH level of a person should be properly regulated as any sudden rise or fall from the TSH normal range may indicate a problem with the thyroid glands. The thyroid glands may stop or over secrete thyroid hormones causing problems in the body. Remember, thyroid glands regulate the metabolic rate of the cells thus any alteration with the said glands would do some harm to the body. The endocrine glands are all interconnected, so whenever something happens to one gland, another one may be affected.