Exhausted and Foggy? It Could Be Your Thyroid. Here’s How a TSH Test Will Tell You the Truth

January 25, 2024

If you enjoy cooking, you know how different a dish can taste based on minor variations. Extra salt or sweetness can radically change the flavor for good or bad.

Health and disease display similar patterns. In your body – behind the scenes – many ingredients interact to keep you sharp, energized, and strong. To preserve this harmony, the thyroid, a gland in your neck, plays a leading role in balancing hormones essential for growth, energy, and cognitive function.

Did you know that almost 50% of your thyroid function is believed to be a consequence of your lifestyle (like your diet) and individual characteristics (such as your weight)? 

In this post, we will discuss the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) – which controls thyroid function – and how a TSH test could unlock a healthier version of you.

How Your Thyroid Works

The thyroid regulates metabolism, heart rate, body temperature, energy use, and proper organ function by producing hormones. How does the process work?

The pituitary gland – located in your brain – is the CEO of the endocrine system – a hormone-driven communication system– keeping your body’s functions coordinated by sending chemical signals that maintain your internal processes working 24/7.1

The pituitary controls your thyroid’s hormone production by releasing TSH. Low thyroid hormone levels in the blood prompt the pituitary to increase TSH, stimulating hormone production. In contrast, high hormone levels lead to reduced TSH. It’s a self-regulated loop.2

However, sometimes, things get out of balance.

TSH Test: A Reliable Alert System

The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reports thyroid problems affect 5-8% of the world population and over 12% of Americans in their lifetimes. Thyroid function is fundamental to health as its imbalances can aggravate cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, bone and kidney health, and mood disorders.3

The American Thyroid Association highlights the importance of TSH as the most sensitive of the initially recommended thyroid tests to detect thyroid hormone problems. Why? 

TSH levels are an outstanding alert system because changes in TSH levels can occur before thyroid hormone levels become too high (hyperthyroidism) or too low (hypothyroidism).4

Read on to see common misconceptions that, if missed, could escalate into major thyroid complications.

4 Misconceptions You Cannot Ignore For Optimal Thyroid Health

Misconception 1: If My Thyroid Had Troubles, I Would Know

This is a dangerous belief. As the National Library of Medicine explains, thyroid problems usually have subtle initial symptoms because the thyroid is connected to multiple organ systems.5

Fatigue, irritability, heat or cold intolerance, constipation, and anxiety are all easily dismissed and even considered a “normal” part of life. However, they can indicate thyroid dysfunction, which only a TSH test can accurately identify.6

Misconception 2: Thyroid Issues Are a Women’s Thing

As the International Journal of Endocrinology reports, thyroid diseases are 5 to 8 times more common in women than in men. Nevertheless, thyroid imbalances are not a women’s thing.7

Thyroid cancer is more prevalent in women, but it’s more aggressive and deadly in men, and the gender prevalence differences diminish as individuals get older, making the risks almost equivalent in the long run.7

Misconception 3: Thyroid Disorders Are Always Hereditary

Another misleading assumption is that thyroid disease “runs in families,” so you should not worry about it unless someone in your family has thyroid disease.

As Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism clarifies, about 45–65% of the differences in thyroid function are influenced by your genes.8

Misconception 4: Thyroid Problems Increase Your Weight

Weight fluctuations are a reality in thyroid dysfunction. The mistake, however, is to assume weight gain is the only sign.

Thyroid problems cause both weight gains and inexplicable weight loss; in fact, a study by The European Thyroid Journal found that weight loss, with an incidence of 60.7%, was the most common symptom experienced by women with an overactive thyroid.9

If you need more convincing, here are three life circumstances – you might be experiencing right now – that endanger your thyroid.

Your Life and Thyroid: How They Relate

Are You Under a Lot of Stress?

Stress can appear to be a vague concept – almost a cliché of the fast pace of modern times – but its health impacts are 100% real. In a study by Medical Science Monitor, life events that were apparently minor but elevated stress levels – such as changing your job – were associated with rising TSH levels.10

Are You Feeling Overly Tired in The Mornings?

Sleep quality also creates conditions that could affect your TSH levels, raising your chances of thyroid imbalances. Research published in Risk Management and Health Policy found elevated TSH levels in individuals who experienced difficulties falling asleep, short sleep duration, and daytime fogginess.11

What is for Dinner?

A study by Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology found that individuals who ate more vegetables and homemade food had healthier TSH levels than those who ate more snacks and fast food. Unhealthy food disrupts the normal function of the thyroid and can raise insulin levels, which creates additional hormonal complications.12

Okay, you are a believer now. Your thyroid is important, and you are considering a THS test. What should you do next?

Let’s examine your unique risk profile.

A TSH Is Not Enough

Thyroid health depends on multiple factors. Stress, insomnia, and even a questionable diet can disrupt your hormones. So, what is the ideal way to keep your thyroid healthy?

The first step is to know where you stand. A TSH test can identify even minor hormonal alterations. But you cannot stop there. Why?

The same lifestyle and environmental circumstances that elevate the risks of thyroid disease – like your diet and unhealthy habits – also increase your chances of developing heart problems, hypertension, cognitive decline, and many more conditions associated with aging.

So, if you take a TSH test by itself yet ignore assessing other areas of your health, you could miss the opportunity to act on time.

Because when you embrace timely actions to enhance your well-being, you add time to your days to do the things you love because you are full of energy and zest for life. 

You Can Change Your Health (But Opportunities Have Expiration Dates)

Being and remaining healthy also requires timely actions. Why? Even the most insidious diseases can be reversed if you detect them before it is too late.

BMC Endocrine Disorders found that individuals who follow an exercise regime display balanced TSH levels.13

The American Thyroid Association is clear. Even for individuals genetically at the highest risk for thyroid cancer, changing their lifestyle (a healthy diet, exercise, less smoking, and alcohol) reduces their risk of developing cancer.4

Even if your genes are against you, you can take action to remain healthy. However, you must act on time before the disease takes hold.

To do so, you must identify your risks before your chances vanish. Here is how you can do it.

Understanding Your Personal Health Risks

No single system in your body is an island. What affects one has broad consequences. So, to take charge of your health and improve it, you must be thorough and go beyond a TSH test.

But don’t worry, you don’t need to do this alone.

Kyla: Adapting Care Delivery to You

Kyla, the leader in anti-aging programs, embodies the future of personalized medicine. Our proprietary AI-driven risk engine promotes your well-being by understanding every facet of your life and optimizing all dimensions of your health.

Your diet, fitness level, environmental conditions, and unique risks (like alcohol consumption, weight, age, genetic predispositions, or chronic diseases) must be considered if you want a test like TSH to offer you transformative insights. How?

If you’re pregnant, AI-assisted risk engines like Kyla’s can leverage a TSH test to calculate, based on your unique circumstances, your risk of pre-gestational diabetes (as the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism explains) or the dangers of preterm birth (according to research by JAMA), so you and your doctor can take action today, and keep you and your baby safe.15,16

If you’re not eating healthy but don’t know where to start to eat in a way that promotes thyroid function, Kyla has got your back. With AI’s assistance, we will create menus – with healthy foods you like – that will remove the guessing of what to eat and what not, and you will finally stop consuming processed foods and snacks that harm your thyroid.

Because waiting to get sick will get you nowhere.

Like a chef masterfully combining flavors, with Kyla’s advice, you can harmonize every aspect of your life and take your health to new heights.

Transform your tomorrow today – Download the Kyla App for a personalized anti-aging blueprint!

References

  1. Cleveland Clinic Medical. Endocrine system. [cited 2024 Jan 17]. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21201-endocrine-system
  2. American Thyroid Association. Thyroid function tests. [cited 2024 Jan 17]. Available from: https://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-function-tests/
  3. Martinez SS, Gutierrez M, Delgado-Enciso I, Maisonet J, Pierre AJ, Campa A, Kallus L, Diaz Martinez J. Economic and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Are Predictors of Lower Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Levels in Hispanic/Latinx Adults with Euthyroidism—A Community-Based Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022 Jul 2;19(13):8142.
  4. American Thyroid Association. Thyroid Hormone Test: Determination of optimal TSH ranges for reflex-free T4 testing. [cited 2024 Jan 17]. Available from: https://www.thyroid.org/patient-thyroid-information/ct-for-patients/february-2018/vol-11-issue-2-p-3-4/
  5. Patil N, Rehman A, Jialal I. Hypothyroidism. [Updated 2023 Aug 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519536/
  6. Mathew P, Kaur J, Rawla P. Hyperthyroidism. [Updated 2023 Mar 19]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537053/
  7. Lauretta R, Sansone M, Sansone A, Romanelli F, Appetecchia M. Gender in endocrine diseases: role of sex gonadal hormones. International journal of endocrinology. 2018 Oct 21;2018.
  8. Medici M, Visser TJ, Peeters RP. Genetics of thyroid function. Best practice & research Clinical endocrinology & metabolism. 2017 Mar 1;31(2):129-42.
  9. Song E, Ahn J, Oh HS, Jeon MJ, Kim WG, Kim WB, Shong YK, Kim TY. Sex-dependent association between weight change and thyroid dysfunction: population-level analysis using the Korean National Health and nutrition examination survey. European Thyroid Journal. 2019 Jul 1;8(4):202-7.
  10. Hong H, Lee J. Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone as a Biomarker for Stress After Thyroid Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study. Medical Science Monitor: International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research. 2022;28:e937957-1.
  11. Song L, Lei J, Jiang K, Lei Y, Tang Y, Zhu J, Li Z, Tang H. The association between subclinical hypothyroidism and sleep quality: a population-based study. Risk management and healthcare policy. 2019 Dec 19:369-74.
  12. Lambrinakou S, Katsa ME, Zyga S, Ioannidis A, Sachlas A, Panoutsopoulos G, Pistikou AM, Magana M, Kougioumtzi Dimoligianni DE, Kolovos P, Rojas Gil AP. Correlations between nutrition habits, anxiety and metabolic parameters in Greek healthy adults. InGeNeDis 2016: Genetics and Neurodegeneration 2017 (pp. 23-34). Springer International Publishing.
  13. Wu K, Zhou Y, Ke S, Huang J, Gao X, Li B, Lin X, Liu X, Liu X, Ma L, Wang L. Lifestyle is associated with thyroid function in subclinical hypothyroidism: a cross-sectional study. BMC endocrine disorders. 2021 Dec;21(1):1-1.
  14. Wouters HJ, Wolffenbuttel BH, Kobold AC, Links TP, Huls G, van der Klauw MM. Hypothyroidism, comorbidity and health-related quality of life: a population-based study. Endocrine Connections. 2023 Dec 1;12(12).
  15. Huang K, Su S, Wang X, Hu M, Zhao R, Gao S, Zhang E, Liu J, Xie S, Luan Y, Sun Y. Association between maternal thyroid function in early pregnancy and gestational diabetes: a prospective cohort study. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2023 Aug 30:dgad518.
  16. Korevaar TI, Derakhshan A, Taylor PN, Meima M, Chen L, Bliddal S, Carty DM, Meems M, Vaidya B, Shields B, Ghafoor F. Association of thyroid function test abnormalities and thyroid autoimmunity with preterm birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Jama. 2019 Aug 20;322(7):632-41.
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