Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Is Elevated: What Does It Mean, Causes, Treatment

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 19:51

Thyroid stimulating hormone is elevated - what does it mean?

The content of the article:

1. Characteristics and parameters of TSH

   1. Synthesis features
   2. Normal indicators

2. Reasons for increasing TSH

   1. Pituitary gland pathologies
   2. Thyroid pathology
3. What is disturbed with elevated TSH
4. Symptoms with high TSH
5. Correction of hormonal imbalance
6. Video

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is a regulator of the thyroid gland. If laboratory analysis showed that thyroid-stimulating hormone is elevated, what does this mean? This means that the activity of the thyroid gland, pituitary gland or hypothalamus is impaired, clarification of the cause and mandatory treatment is required. The need for correction is due to the important role of the hormone in the body and serious shifts in metabolic processes in its absence.

Complaints with elevated TSH include apathy, fatigue, a tendency to depressive states

Characteristics and parameters of TSH

Thyroid stimulating hormone, or thyrotropin, is a representative of biologically active substances produced in the anterior lobe of the lower cerebral epididymis - the pituitary gland. Its area of application is the thyroid gland.

Synthesis features

The synthesis of thyrotropin is carried out constantly, but its concentration in the blood changes throughout the day. The peak of production falls on night hours, the minimum values are noted in the evening. In the absence of a full night's sleep, the normal rhythm of secretion is disrupted, which can lead to a deterioration in well-being. There is a decrease in the level of thyrotropin in the blood during pregnancy. With age, its content slightly increases, but the emission at night decreases.

What values are considered elevated? To answer this question, you need to know the norm.

Normal indicators

Serum TSH levels may vary slightly depending on the laboratory and the determination method.

Age range	Reference values	Units
Newborn	1.1-17.0	honey / l
Children under 2.5 months	0.6-10.0	honey / l
Children from 2.5 to 14 months	0.4-7.0	honey / l
Children from 14 months to 5 years	0.4-6.0	honey / l
Children from 5 to 14 years old	0.4-5.0	honey / l
Adults	0.4-4.0	honey / l

The given indicators are generally accepted and are used in practice by doctors of different specialties.

Reasons for increasing TSH

The level of thyrotropin goes beyond the upper limit when the processes of its regulation and synthesis are disrupted.

Stimulates TSH synthesis	Inhibit the synthesis of TSH
Tyroliberin - hypothalamic hormone	Somatostatin - a hormone of the hypothalamus and special cells of the pancreas
Low serum T3 and T4 concentrations	Excess serum T3 and T4
Estrogens - female sex hormones	Dopamine is a neurotransmitter
Low temperatures	Glucocorticoids - steroid hormones produced by the adrenal cortex

The pituitary gland produces TSH, which triggers the formation of T3 and T4 in the thyroid gland. If there are few of these hormones in the blood, which happens with pathologies of the gland, then the pituitary gland begins to produce more thyrotropin, stimulating the thyroid gland. With an excess of T3 and T4 in the blood, the pituitary gland, on the contrary, reduces the synthesis of thyrotropin, making the gland less active. The scheme works if the pituitary gland is in a normal state and is able to respond to changes in the concentration of thyroxine and triiodothyronine in the blood.

Pituitary gland pathologies

TSH is elevated if there is:

• hormone-active pituitary tumor - thyrotropinoma;
• pituitary form of resistance (resistance) to thyroid hormones;
• generalized form of resistance to thyroid hormones.

In the first case, excessive synthesis of TSH is carried out by a large number of tumor cells. Unregulated secretion in the syndrome of resistance is a consequence of the immunity of the pituitary gland or peripheral tissues to T3 and T4. These causes are much less common than thyroid dysfunction.

Thyroid pathology

High TSH levels are most often caused by thyroid problems resulting from:

• treatment with radioactive iodine;
• radiation therapy;
• poisoning with elemental iodine;
• lack of iodine in the body;
• resection or radical surgical removal of the thyroid gland;
• inflammatory process in the thyroid gland (autoimmune, postpartum, fibro-invasive, specific);
• taking medications with a thyrostatic, that is, suppressing the synthesis of hormones, effect.

Thyroid diseases that can overestimate TSH are more common in women. Violation of synthesis associated with the pathology of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus is recorded with the same frequency in men and women. The changes occurring in the body as a result of the action of a large amount of thyrotropin are also the same. An idea of them can be obtained by knowing the effect of TSH on target organs.

What is disturbed with elevated TSH

TSH, controlling the synthesis of thyroid hormones, through them regulates the processes of growth and development of the human body. An increase in thyrotropin levels automatically leads to their violation.

The influence of thyroxine and triiodothyronine extends to all tissues. Receptors for them are everywhere, except for the testes and spleen. Providing growth and differentiation of tissues, increasing their need for oxygen, T3 and T4 are involved in all types of metabolism.

Scope of application	Impact
BX	Intensification of basal metabolism and increase in body temperature
Water exchange	Decrease in water content in tissues, decrease in reabsorption of fluid in the kidneys
Carbohydrate metabolism	An increase in blood sugar levels, an increase in glucose consumption by tissues, inhibition of the formation of glycogen in skeletal muscles and liver
Protein metabolism	In a small concentration - an increase in the synthesis and slowdown of the breakdown of proteins, at a large concentration - a decrease in synthesis and an increase in the breakdown of proteins
Lipid metabolism	Enhanced splitting, inhibition of the formation and deposition of fats
central nervous system	Stimulation of motor excitability, defensive reactions, mental activity, acceleration of thought associations
The cardiovascular system	Increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and strength
Blood coagulation system	Reducing the formation of coagulation factors, stimulating the synthesis of anticoagulants
Hematopoietic system	Increased production of red blood cells in the bone marrow

When the thyroid gland is damaged, the production of T3 and T4 decreases, the pituitary gland responds with an increase in TSH, but there is no response to stimulation - the gland is defective. All of the above types of exchange suffer in this case. This condition is called hypothyroidism.

Symptoms with high TSH

The severity of clinical manifestations is determined by the degree of thyrotropin increase. If the TSH index is 4.4 IU / L, there may be no complaints. If the TSH concentration is 5.5 mU / l, symptoms of hypothyroidism appear:

• psycho-emotional disorders (apathy, lethargy, tendency to depression);
• indigestion (decreased appetite, nausea, constipation);
• cardiovascular manifestations (weak and infrequent pulse, low blood pressure);
• changes in the hair and skin (dry skin, brittleness, dullness of nails and hair);
• damage to the nervous system (decreased attention, memorization, drowsiness, lethargy);
• metabolic changes (swelling, weight gain, yellowness of the skin).

All these complaints are the result of low levels of T3 and T4 in thyroid diseases.

If thyrotropin is elevated due to pituitary adenoma or resistance to thyroid-stimulating hormones, then the levels of T3 and T4 will, on the contrary, increase, because a healthy thyroid gland responds to stimulation by increasing their synthesis. The opposite signs of hyperthyroidism will appear:

• tachycardia;
• an increase in systolic blood pressure;
• increased appetite;
• weight loss;
• irritability; etc.

In any case, if the state of health suffers, then this means that measures should be taken.

Correction of hormonal imbalance

When TSH is elevated, treatment must be etiological. With pituitary adenoma, tactics depend on the size and hormonal activity of the neoplasm. Surgical removal and radiosurgical treatment are used.

Problems with elevated TSH can occur due to brain damage

In case of thyroid pathology, the choice of treatment is determined by the degree of its dysfunction. Severe hypothyroidism requires replacement therapy to replenish hormone deficiency. For this purpose, synthetic thyroid drugs are prescribed: Eutirox, L-Thyroxin, Bagothyrox, L-Thyroxin-Acri, etc. Their use effectively and quickly reduces the level of thyrotropin, but can last more than one year, sometimes they are taken for life.

The doctor should determine the tactics of treatment. Why can't you do it yourself? Because an increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone is possible with completely different pathological conditions that require different approaches to treatment. And don't try to do without medication. It will not be possible to replace hormones with folk remedies and special nutrition.

Video

We offer for viewing a video on the topic of the article.

Anna Kozlova Medical journalist About the author

Education: Rostov State Medical University, specialty "General Medicine".

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