One of the most common questions 90% of all our patients ask us is, "How do I read my thyroid report correctly?" It is a crucial question since your health depends on the correct interpretation of your thyroid report.
Let’s begin with what not to do – looking at TSH levels only to judge your thyroid health. Only seeing your TSH level will never paint the full picture of your thyroid health.
Your thyroid gland doesn't only involve TSH. It produces T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine). T4 hormone gets converted to its active form Free T3. So, why look at just TSH?
You must check the total T3 and T4, and Free T3 to understand what is going wrong within the thyroid gland, whether it’s underactive (hypothyroidism) or overactive (hyperthyroidism).
What Is A Complete Thyroid Profile?
Normal thyroid tests in India only include TSH, T3 and T4, and Free T3.
Although they tell us whether the person has hypo or hyperthyroidism, they do not tell us why the patient has thyroid problems.
Here is a complete thyroid profile that all Jeevam Health doctors recommend for patients of all ages.
- TSH
- Total T3 and T4
- Free T3 and T4
- Thyroid Antibodies
- anti-TPO
- Anti-Thyroglobulin (Anti-TG)
- Reverse T3
Thyroid antibodies such as Anti-TPO (Anti-thyroid peroxidase) and Anti-TG (anti-thyroglobulin) are present in people who have autoimmune thyroid.
What is autoimmune thyroid? It is a person’s immune system attacking their thyroid gland. Doctors also call this Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (HT).
Jeevam Health Doctors have proven that early diagnosis of HT and hypothyroidism signs can help prevent the onset of the disease and its symptoms completely.
It is very important to do a full thyroid profile to understand why you are facing thyroid problems.
Hypothyroidism can be fully reversed through functional medicine once the doctors run a root cause analysis and find out the exact cause of your thyroid.
What Is The Normal Thyroid Test Report Range For Female Patients?
When you open a thyroid report, you will see a range for TSH, T3, T4, FT3, and FT4.
Whenever your results are within the thyroid test report “normal” range for female patients, most doctors will tell you, “Your TSH is just 4.5. You don’t have thyroid problems. Run the same tests 1 year later and come back to me”.
But within that one year, your TSH can become higher and your thyroid gland function will become worse.
Sadly, that’s not correct! New guidelines for thyroid tests state two different ranges –
- Optimal range
- Conventional range
What Is The Optimal Range For TSH?
The optimal range is where your thyroid is functioning ideally, and comfortably without any stress. Your endocrine health is all perfect without any disturbances.
The optimal range is much narrower than the conventional range. The optimal thyroid test report range for female patients is typically between 0.5 and 2.5.
When your TSH is within the optimal range, your doctor can confidently say that "Yes, you are not showing any signs of thyroid issues right now."
What Is The Conventional Range For TSH?
The conventional range for TSH is much wider. It can have a lower limit of 0.5 and an upper limit of 5.
So, when your TSH level is 4 or 4.5, it is within the thyroid test report conventional range for female patients, but your thyroid gland is in distress.
In such cases, you will obviously notice that your T3 and T4 levels are also outside the optimal range or well outside the conventional range as well.
In such cases, you need to talk to a thyroid expert or functional medicine doctor who can analyze and explain why it’s happening to you. It is the only way to find proper hypothyroidism treatment and medicine dose.
Do I Need Treatment For Subclinical Hypothyroidism?
Of course, you do! In many cases, when your TSH is 2.7 or 2.8, you may not have hypothyroidism symptoms. However, there is some mechanism in your body that is affecting the thyroid stimulating hormone levels and thyroid function.
| Type | TSH | Free T4 Level |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Hypothyroidism | Elevated | Low |
| Subclinical Hypothyroidism | Elevated | Normal |
It can happen due to many reasons –
- Insulin resistance
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Adrenal Dysfunction
- The beginning of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (hypothyroidism)
So, unless your doctor goes through all possibilities, you cannot find a proper cause or treatment for subclinical hypothyroidism.
| Test Name | Test Parameters |
|---|---|
| Thyroid Complete Profile | TSH, Total T3, Total T4, Free T3, Free T4, Anti TPO, Anti Thyroglobulin Antibodies |
| Cardiometabolic Profile | Fasting Glucose, Haemoglobin A1c, Fasting Insulin, Lipid Profile |
| Inflammation Profile | HS CRP, Complete Blood Count (CBC) with ESR |
| Nutritional Profile | Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Magnesium, Iron with Ferritin |
We recommend TSH, FT3, FT4, Total T3, and T4, Thyroid antibody tests to begin with. Once you get in touch with a thyroid expert, they may ask you for your medical history and run more tests to see what is currently causing a small spike in TSH levels.
Remember, subclinical hypothyroidism is completely reversible and you can live a life free from all hypothyroidism problems if you can read your thyroid reports properly!
My Thyroid Report Shows Hypothyroidism, What Do I Do?
Firstly, get in touch with your doctor or contact Jeevam Health for a personal consultation.
Looking at your test reports may tell you that you have hypothyroidism, but it cannot tell you the root cause. So, what will happen? You will keep taking thyroid medicines for months or years, but your thyroid symptoms will persist.
You need a good doctor who will consider any other health problems you have, your complete thyroid test, and nutrient profile, food allergies, sensitivities, other autoimmune conditions, and ongoing medicines. Only after root cause analysis you will receive the answer to all your hypothyroidism problems.
So, go ahead and schedule a call with Jeevam Health for a root cause analysis and one-on-one consultation with a thyroid expert.
