The thyroid plays a very important role in our body’s functions. The hormone it secretes helps maintain a healthy skin, normalizes the heart rate and plays a critical part in the body’s metabolism. If the gland is slow-moving (hypothyroidism), it consumes your energy, dries your skin, your joints ache and you start to gain weight. All these may lead to depression. On the other hand, if the gland is working too hard (hyperthyroidism) and produces more hormones, it causes heart palpitations, sleep disorders and undesired weight loss. That is a lot of work for a gland with the shape and size similar to that of a buckeye butterfly.

It is surprising to know that despite all the negative possibilities, 27 Million Americans with thyroid disease remain undiagnosed, according to the Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. This is apparently due to symptoms not related to thyroid problems. People spent years trying to get the accurate diagnosis from specialists or internists but ends up with prescriptions like antidepressants and skin creams. What these patients really need is thyroid medication.

Hypothyroidism
80 percent of people with thyroid disease are suffering hypothyroidism or the hypo version. When the situation demands that you to seek medical attention, one of the first questions your doctor will ask you are your family’s medical history since thyroid disease tends to be hereditary. The risks involved increases when the patient is a female since this disorder is eight times more common in women. Older patients and those that have an autoimmune disorder like type 1 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis aggravate the condition.

Blood Tests
The doctor’s may prescribe TSH or thyroid-stimulating hormone blood test depending on your risk profile. TSH is released by the pituitary gland so that, when the thyroid fails to produce hormones, the pituitary gland will discharge more TSH. A normal TSH level has a test score from 0.4 to 2.5. A score between 0.0 and 0.4 means a patient has hyperthyroidism while a score between 2.5 and 4 means a patient has hypothyroidism and should undergo the same test within 1 year. A score test above 4 means a mild case of hypothyroidism and doctors usually refuse treating patients belonging to this category since clinical hypothyroidism starts at 10. But in a British study, conducted in 2007 reported in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, treatment is recommended in order to prevent cardiovascular diseases by reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol and reducing the risk of clogged arteries and at the same time increasing energy. If your symptoms require you to undergo TSH test and you scored above 4, you and your doctor must discuss treatment.