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What is TSH?

October 31, 20182 min read

When a person has thyroid problems, it may be due to a lack of thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH. This hormone is not produced by the thyroid, but is actually produced by the pituitary gland. TSH passes information to the thyroid and helps it produce the hormones necessary for the body. When health care professionals work on the thyroid without finding the actual problem, this can lead to frustration if a person is not feeling better. It is only by correcting the root cause in the body that a person can begin to feel like their old self again.

As part of the endocrine system, the thyroid is interconnected with many glands throughout the body. These glands all work together to produce the hormones that help the organs function. If one gland is not working properly, it can lead to problems that manifest in a variety of ways. For thyroid problems, this includes weight gain, anxiety, fatigue and other issues as well.

The biggest problem is that when a person presents with symptoms of a thyroid issue, their health care provider may recommend the same course of action for each person. They will often recommend synthetic thyroid hormone, which will need to be taken for the rest of a person’s life. This may provide some short-term solutions, but eventually its effectiveness might wear off. This is because the thyroid may not necessarily the problem, but rather TSH may be the problem. Because this approach is not addressing the root cause and is instead only addressing a symptom, this may not be the best place to start. A licensed naturopathic physician will work to address the root cause of the problem, instead of just the symptoms.

The first thing a naturopathic physician will do is test your blood levels to find thyroid hormone levels in the body. This helps identify problems that may exist within the body contributing to your thyroid issues. It’s important to try to find where the body is unbalanced and have the goal to get it working properly again. This can be done through several natural therapies. Perhaps the most important is making sure your body is getting the nutrition it needs. Each person’s body is different and it’s important to make sure you are meeting your individual needs.

If you have had thyroid problems and have not been able to find relief, there may be effective all-natural therapies that are right for you. We take the time to learn your individual needs and work together towards your health goals. Instead of working on systems in isolation, a different approach is working on the body as a whole. To learn more about a holistic approach and how to support thyroid health with all-natural therapies, contact our office and we will be happy to answer any questions you have!

Photo Credit: ID 108388596 © Ivan Shidlovski | Dreamstime.com

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