The Thyroid: Beyond the Immune System, part I

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Dr. G

What affects thyroid health?

Are you ready to drink water out of a fire hose? That’s what it can feel like when you are learning about thyroid health.

Is it possible to have a thyroid problem and have nothing wrong with your thyroid at the same time?

It’s a concept that I see more often than not. I have no shortage of patients who come to me with all the signs and symptoms of a thyroid problem, but “My doctor says my thyroid is fine.” This is why there has been such a monumental movement of patients leaving their endocrinologists and primary care doctors to find answers elsewhere.

The hope is that patients can find credible, actionable information that leads to solving problems. Many of these people get lost online trying to piece together the information on their own. I hope this post helps to contribute to a greater understanding.

I have also previously written a post on the Hypothyroid Mom website, one of the biggest websites in the world helping people find answers for their thyroid-related health challenges. It outlines some of the most common reasons blood work can be deceiving and make you think your thyroid function is fine when it is not.

Whether or not you are taking thyroid medication, not sure if you need to take medication, had thyroid cancer, had your thyroid removed, or have the symptoms of a thyroid problem but are told you’re normal, it is very important for you to know that there are options for you to feel and function better.

This post is the first of a four-part series on the mysteries of the thyroid.

Why is your thyroid hormone so important?

When the human body’s major systems work together for the common purpose of living life to the fullest, the miracle of life is most evident. When those systems are not working together, we know it. It results in life not being so enjoyable, and it can even be a burden.

The systems of the body are made up of organs, the organs are made up of tissues, and the tissues are made up of cells. All together, we are each made up of roughly 100 trillion cells. Those cells have certain requirements that must be met so they can express health. Their ability to do so affects every cell around them because the body has multiple amazing communication systems. Sick cells result in sick tissues, which result in sick organs, then sick systems, and thus, sick people.

Think of a cell as a busy office with workers, machines, computers, and printers all working together to create a product. That office requires an energy supply (lights, Internet, cellphone service, etc.) and a means to turn that energy into production. Our cells each have energy factories called mitochondria. Think of the mitochondria as an energy source for all the machines in the office to plug into, providing all these services. Without that energy source, nothing can work in the office. If nothing works in the cell, there is no life. It’s that important. Free T3 hormone is what turns on the energy engine of the cell, the mitochondria.

Why would your doctor say your thyroid is fine?

The reason your doctor says your thyroid is fine is most likely due to the fact that your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) value is normal and perhaps that your T4 (thyroxine ) is normal.

TSH is produced by your pituitary gland (just under your brain), the master gland that regulates the function of all of your hormone producing glands. When this value is too high, you are diagnosed with hypothyroid, and if it’s too low, you are diagnosed with hyperthyroid.

If TSH is normal, most doctors stop there because they see no reason to provide medical treatment. Medical treatment for hypothyroidism is thyroid hormone replacement therapy (Synthroid, Armour, etc.), and there is little else in a doctor’s toolbox to address this problem.

T4 is the main hormone produced by the thyroid gland itself, under the direction of TSH from the pituitary gland. When these numbers are acceptable, you, according to the medical definition, have normal thyroid (euthyroid) function.

In my next post, we will look beyond the medical definition of the condition hypothyroid and discuss how things can still go wrong and cause hypothyroid symptoms.

To Be Continued…

Thanks for reading!