A High thyrotropin In the bloodstream typically indicates that the thyroid has poor performance. High levels of thyrotropin are a common sign of hypothyroidism that will require medical treatment to avoid potential health risks.
Thyrotropin (TSH) or thyroid stimulating hormone, is a hormone produced in the pituitary gland previous. It is used to help stimulate the thyroid to produce triiodothyronine (T3) or thyroxine (T4), the hormones that help stimulate metabolism.
If the pituitary gland is producing TSH to try to stimulate the thyroid, but the thyroid does not respond, this can create a high amount of thyrotropin in the bloodstream.
A high thyrotropin can be caused by stress , A disease, an obstruction, or a surgery that causes the thyroid to malfunction or be slow.
Causes and symptoms of high TSH
Once excessive levels of TSH are determined in the system, the doctor will begin to evaluate what is causing the problem. Among the causes can be hypothyroidism, pituitary tumors and thyroid disorder.
Hypothyroidism
Patients suffering from this condition experience dry skin, thinning, increased sensitivity to cold, muscle aches, swollen face, impaired memory, unexplained weight gain, fatigue, high cholesterol, hoarseness, constipation, depression, irregular menstrual periods, among others.
A number of circumstances like surgery, taking psychiatric medications, radiotherapy or an autoimmune disease can lead to this condition.
Hypothyroidism is usually treated with drugs that will artificially replace these hormones.
Thyroid Disorder
Thyroid disorders include an enlarged thyroid gland, an abnormal production of hormones or cancer. These can cause a malfunction of the thyroid.
Some of these conditions are harmless, but most require medical intervention to avoid unpleasant side effects, such as having a slow metabolism, which causes damage throughout the body.
Pituitary Tumors
There are rare cases in which excessive levels of TSH are a sign that the pituitary gland is not working properly.
Sometimes this is because a group of cells has begun to grow in the upper part of the gland. Most of these tumors are non-cancerous, although they can cause interference in bodily functions, which can lead to other negative side effects that are dangerous to the body.
Overproduction of TSH can lead to an overactive thyroid.
Others
- Mental changes : People can often experience mental changes, such as feeling depressed, having difficulty processing information and suffering memory loss. In addition, it can produce slower speech, and in some cases even dementia.
- Cardiopulmonary symptoms : In some cases, high levels may cause cholesterol levels to increase. Heart enlargement and heart failure may occur, because fluid can build up around the heart and lungs and heart rate may become slower than normal.
- Systemic symptoms : You may experience cold sensitivity due to a low body temperature, plus slowness and fatigue. If you develop a myxedema coma, it can produce seizures and coma.
- Musculoskeletal symptoms : A high thyrotropin can cause stiffness and swelling, joint and muscle pain. It can also cause loss of deep tendon reflexes, as well as numbness and tingling in the extremities.
- Gynecological symptoms : High levels of TSH can lead to heavier periods in women or even have no periods at all, so in addition, due to lack of ovulation can occur infertility. Often sexual desire decreases.
TSH test
The TSH test is a lab test that analyzes the blood to determine total TSH levels in the body.
If the patient begins to show signs of a thyroid malfunction, the doctor will surely order a test to check thyrotropin levels in the system. If these show a high level of TSH, the functioning of the thyroid can be slow.
During a TSH test, a blood sample will be taken to check hormone levels. A needle is inserted into the arm, and the blood sample is collected to be placed in an identified tube.
In some cases an elastic band may be placed around the arm to facilitate collection of blood. The patient should not feel much pain because of the elastic band or needle, although it may develop a bruise at the injection site.
The results of the TSH test are usually available 2 to 3 days after the blood test is done.
If the hormones result are not within a healthy range, the doctor will look for the cause and treatment for this condition.
Normal thyrotropin range
There is a range of TSH levels. Learning what they mean and identifying symptoms can give the doctor more information to properly treat the condition.
Normal TSH
In adults, TSH levels range from 0.4 to 4.2 mU / L. This indicates that signals from the pituitary gland coincide with the activity of the thyroid gland.
The doctor will use the hormone level along with other signs and side effects that may be showing to determine if there is a health problem underlying the hand.
High TSH
Although the normal range of TSH is between 0.4 to 4.2 mU / L, certain conditions such as hypothyroidism can be suspected from values greater than 2 mIU / mL (with normal T4 values).
High TSH levels are typically caused by hypothyroidism. If the patient is already being treated for a thyroid disorder, this may be a sign that he needs to increase his medication. In rare cases, it may be showing high levels of TSH because it has developed a tumor in the pituitary gland that overproduces TSH.
Low TSH
Low levels of TSH may be a sign that you are being treated with an overactive thyroid gland with conditions such as goiter, Graves' disease, or noncancerous tumors.
The thyroid may also become overactive during the first trimester of pregnancy. If the patient is already being treated for thyroid problems, he may develop low levels of TSH if he is taking too much thyroid medication.
If you are not showing signs of overactive thyroid, you may have damaged the pituitary gland, causing it to produce less TSH.
References
- MD Health Doctors (2015-2017). What Does a High TSH Mean?. MD-Health. Retrieved from: md-health.com.
- Sharon Perkins (2011). High TSH Symptoms. Livestrong. Retrieved from: livestrong.com.
- Web Med Staff (2005). Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH). Web MD. Retrieved from: webmd.com.
- Mayo Clinic Staff (2015). High TSH. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Retrieved from: mayoclinic.org.