Worried about High TSH level? Do you have any idea about what it really means when your TSH is high ?

Does it have any significance for your overall health?

For effective management,it is necessary to understand the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for elevated TSH levels is essential.

Well, through this blog, Mykare Health will clear all your concerns regarding elevated levels of TSH, how it affects an individual and ways to combat it. So Let’s get started .

High TSH: What It Indicates

The ideal range for TSH is mostly from 0.4 to 4.0 mUL. If TSH is above this prescribed range at a certain time, thyroid gland may not produce enough hormones, like thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). This may be termed as a condition called hypothyroidism.

Since thyroid hormone suppresses TSH release, too little thyroid hormone can cause your pituitary to make excess TSH. Rarely, issues with your pituitary gland, such as a TSH-secreting pituitary adenoma, or rare genetic conditions can result in higher-than-normal TSH and thyroid hormone levels.

Normal TSH levels

Normal levels of TSH vary based on your age. In general, normal ranges of TSH for healthy people who aren’t pregnant include

• Infants up to 5 days old: 0.7 – 15.2 micro-international units per milliliter (uIU/mL).

• Infants 6 to 90 days old: 0.72 – 11.0 uIU/mL.

• Babies 4 to 12 months old: 0.73 – 8.35 uIU/mL.

• Children in the age group 1 to 6 years old: 0.7 – 5.97 uIU/mL.

• Children in the age group 7 to 11 years old: 0.6 – 4.84 uIU/mL.

• 12 to 20 years old: 0.51 – 4.3 uIU/mL.

• 21 to 99 years old: 0.27 – 4.2 uIU/mL.

• During the First trimester of pregnancy: 0.18 – 2.99 (uIU/mL).

• During the Second trimester of pregnancy : 0.11 – 3.98 uIU/mL.

• During the Third trimester of pregnancy: 0.48 – 4.71 uIU/mL.

Symptoms of High TSH level

• Depression

• Fatigue

• Hoarse Voice

• Numbness in your hands

• Slow heart rate

• Puffiness in the face

• Cold intolerance

• Sudden Weight Gain

• Appetite changes

• Hair loss and thinning

• Constipation

• Osteoporosis

• Dry skin and hair

• Infertility

• Decreased Interest in Sex

• Irregular or heavy menstruation

• Joint or muscle pain

Causes of Hypothyroidism

Several influences bring about the rise of hypothyroidism. Some of them are

Hashimoto's thyroiditis: Long-term and potentially permanent damage to the thyroid gland over time can happen due to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis,a condition in which your body begins to attack its thyroid gland through an autoimmune process.

Iodine deficiency: For the production of the thyroid hormone in your body, Iodine is required in adequate amounts. If the iodine content in your diet is significantly low, it will result in low circulating thyroid hormone in the serum. This might produce a negative impact which will in return increase TSH level from your pituitary.

Obesity and metabolic damage: Factors like excessive weight gain and metabolic damage may lead to hypothyroidism if there is an elevation of the TSH levels in the blood. Women with polycystic ovarian disease are even more susceptible to having elevated TSH levels.

Stress and increased cortisol: Besides stress and increased cortisol levels, an increased TSH level can also be elicited. A high cortisol level is positively correlated with TSH levels in the serum. Cortisol is the stress hormone and is released in response to stressful situations.

Hormonal imbalances produced by hormonal birth control or an alteration in estrogen levels can lead to hypothyroidism as well.

Thyroidectomy (partial or complete): Surgical removal of your thyroid gland may increase TSH levels.

Drugs: Lithium, metformin, amiodarone, or tyrosine kinase inhibitors cause thyroid dysfunction.

Diagnosis

Confirmation of hypothyroidism is done through blood testing which measures the TSH level or thyroid hormone levels. An improved level of TSH combined with low T4 normally indicates the disease.

Initially, a blood test to determine the level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in blood is conducted. If the value is high, the test is repeated further along with a blood test for determining the level of thyroid hormone T-4.

If the value of TSH is still high but the value of T-4 is low, it can be considered hypothyroidism. In a few specific cases, the doctor might also recommend measuring the level of T-3, which is another type of thyroid hormone.

If the value of TSH is still high but both T-4 and T-3 results stay within the range considered to be normal, then the condition falls into the category of so-called subclinical hypothyroidism. This is seldom observed to have any symptoms.

Treatment

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Intake of thyroid hormone medicine levothyroxine (Levo-T, Synthroid, others) on a daily basis is the most common way of managing hypothyroidism. It returns hormone levels to a healthy range, eliminating symptoms of hypothyroidism.

You'll likely start to feel better one or two weeks after you begin treatment. Treatment with levothyroxine likely will be lifelong. Because the dosage you need may change, your health care provider may check your TSH level every year.

Monitoring: Regular follow-up and blood tests are essential to adjust medication dosage and ensure optimal thyroid function.

Lifestyle Modifications: Healthy diet, regular exercise, and avoidance of iodine deficiency can support thyroid health.

Management of Underlying Causes: Addressing autoimmune conditions or other disorders contributing to hypothyroidism may be necessary in some cases.