![]() TSH is not actually made in the thyroid, but it helps regulate the production of other thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormone levels can be measured from blood samples and used to help figure out if thyroid nodules are cancerous or not.Ī hormone called TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is checked to get a sense of overall thyroid activity. What Blood Tests Are Used For Thyroid Diagnosis? ![]() These changes usually suggest that the thyroid nodule is NOT a cancer. What Happens During the History and Physical Exam for Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis?ĭuring the history, a medical professional will ask questions about risk factors like radiation exposure and thyroid cancer in other family members.ĭuring the physical exam, a medical professional will check the thyroid nodule size, how firm it feels, and for swelling of nearby lymph nodes.Ī medical professional will also ask and look for signs and symptoms of too much (hyperthyroidism) or too little (hypothyroidism) thyroid hormone activity (including changes in weight, changes in energy levels, and feeling too hot or too cold). A thyroid biopsy is used to confirm the diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Blood and imaging tests for thyroid cancer may follow. The first step is a medical history and physical exam from a medical professional. Most people who are eventually diagnosed with thyroid cancer first come to their doctor after noticing a lump in their neck, so the diagnostic process usually starts with an evaluation of this nodule. Simply c4075 or pop in to the clinic!ĭo you want to find out how natural health can help treat your thyroid condition and discover some of the super foods to eat and diet principles to follow to help balance your immune system?Ĭlick here to access our free guide – Natural Remedies for Thyroid Health.Overview | Types | Causes | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Prognosis/Outcomes How Is Thyroid Cancer Diagnosed? They can also recommend a huge range of natural herbs and supplements along with dietary and lifestyle advice to get you feeling your best again. Don’t worry though, it’s a relative inexpensive test and it is money well spent to determine if you need help with your thyroid.Ĭoncerned about your thyroid or eager to know if your symptoms could be related to thyroid dysfunction? Why not chat to one of our experience Herb Bar Naturopaths? They offer FREE 10minute mini consultations and can advise you if further investigation of your symptoms is required. ![]() Measuring your T3 and T4 thyroid levels is the only way to know for sure and will provide great insight into the health of your thyroid, unfortunately these levels cannot be tested under the Medicare system. If your symptoms suggest thyroid dysfunction and your concerned about your TSH levels, your Naturopath can refer you for further testing to determine if you have underlying thyroid dysfunction. What you should do if you believe your thyroid may be functioning optimally? This can lead to a broad range of problems, so of which I have covered in previous posts. Anything greater suggests that your thyroid may be under-functioning and not normal at all, anything lower than this means your thyroid is in overdrive. For example: physically, you could have all the symptoms of low thyroid function – only to be told by your doctor your results are “within range” and your thyroid function appears “normal”.įrom a naturopathic perspective, an optimal TSH range is between 1-2.5. It doesn’t tell us how well the TSH is being converted to its active form nor does it tell us how well the body is using it! Additionally, the “normal” TSH range is generally between 0.5-4.5 (allowing for some variation with different pathology labs), which is quite broad and does not account for the early stages of thyroid dysfunction. The problem with this? TSH is only one small piece of the thyroid function puzzle and does not give an accurate reflection of how your thyroid is working. To minimise costs, Medicare’s strict guidelines are to test for TSH first and only test the other thyroid hormones if there is an issue with the TSH results. The reason for this? Medicare won’t allow it. They won’t however, test for Thyroxine (T4) or Triidothyrine (T3) UNLESS your TSH is out of the recommended range. The system for testing thyroid function works like this – Your doctor will initially only test your levels of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), the hormone that regulates your thyroid function. You still don’t feel great but your doctor has said the results were ok, maybe it’s all in your head? Or perhaps your results were wrong? It’s entirely possible that you have been tested for thyroid function by your doctor and told that your thyroid is functioning well, your results are fine, nothing to worry about here and not much else is said.
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