If you’re reading this then you’ve probably had a thyroid test from your doctor and you’ve probably been told that it’s ‘normal’. If that’s the case then read on because you NEED to know this information!
Obviously, it is possible that your thyroid function is normal, however, the chances are that you had the test done because you had symptoms of thyroid dysfunction and despite having a normal test result, you still have symptoms of thyroid dysfunction. Well there’s probably a simple explanation for that.
There are many issues with the conventional thyroid test. Here are the three you need to know:
The Test Is Too Simplistic
Before summer 2015 (I’m not sure of the exact date) the NHS tested for T4 or fT4, and TSH. Now, however, they are only testing TSH. The thing is, there are 8 analytes that could be imbalanced (TSH, T4, fT4, T3, fT3, rT3, Iodine and auto-antibodies). So the NHS test only tells you whether your TSH is imbalanced.
TSH is thyroid stimulating hormone and this is produced by the pituitary gland to stimulate the thyroid gland to produce thyroxine. So if you have high TSH then your pituitary gland is sending a strong signal, indicating that the thyroid isn’t working hard enough. The issue is that TSH tells us about the signal to the thyroid and NOT about the thyroid function.
In my clinic, I test ALL of the thyroid analytes because once we know what is causing dysfunction, we can usually address it with some dietary tweaks, avoiding the need for life-long medication.
The Most Common Cause of Underactive Thyroid Has Been Ignored
At a push, if dyfunction is detected then you might have some of these other analytes tested. HOWEVER, the NHS do not and will not test for Iodine deficiency; a deficiency that is pretty much ignored by conventional medicine but is so incredibly common! Why so common? Because there’s barely any iodine in the western diet. Why is it important? Because iodine is needed to make thyroxine, the thyroid hormone.
In my clinic, around 80% of the people I test are deficient (these are people with symptoms remember, not the general public). Even I was deficient and I had a balanced diet (and no symptoms)! Iodine testing is cheap and non-invasive (just a urine sample), but you have to have it done privately. It’s one of the most common tests I use in my clinic.
NB: Please do not take iodine without confirming deficiency. Too much iodine causes problems!
The Test Compares You To a Normal Population
It’s generally agreed that the reference range (normal healthy range) for thyroid markers are set WAY too low. What you should understand is that there is a big difference between normal and optimal. In my clinic, I look at the optimal range rather than the ‘normal’ range. Why is there this difference though? Because such a huge proportion of the population has thyroid dysfunction that what is considered ‘normal’ is actually pretty low!
So you’re probably thinking, ‘what do I do now!?’
I work with clients who have thyroid problems, daily. Admittedly, it’s not an easy area to work in especially if you are already taking thyroxine, however, we get results! To find out more about how I could help you, click here.