Symptoms of Thyroid Problems: The Ultimate Yardstick

What's really important when it comes to diagnosing thyroid problems? Is it the symptoms of thyroid problems, family history and physical presentation, or should more weight be given to TSH, T3, T4?

Before we answer that, let's look at both the patients and the doctor's points of view.

In order for a patient to tell their doctor about their symptoms of thyroid problems, the doctor has to actually spend time with them, as well as actually listen to them.

Well, the #1 problem people have with their doctor is that they do neither, and doctors know it.

So if you go to the doctor and s/he doesn't listen, it must not be important, right?

A patient may subconsciously be persuaded to feel that maybe it isn't that important and take the doctor's word or their actions as reasonable.

What about the doctor. They have to listen to people tell them all their problems all day long. Some are very real, some are blown out of proportion and some are just lies (for money, drugs, sympathy, etc).

Doctors are actually trained that people are liars, so they rely heavily on lab testing (because lab test never lie, right?).

So we end up with both parties feeling that maybe the lab work is the way to go. Not good.

This has huge implications for those with symptoms of thyroid problems. A huge problem of under diagnosis exist for those with thyroid problems when a doctor relies on abnormal or normal TSH as the only marker for thyroid problems. Truth be told, these labs are very inaccurate and serve better as secondary markers for the diagnosis of thyroid problems.

What are far superior ways to assess thyroid problems?

1. symptoms of thyroid problems such as: unexplained weight gain, unmanageable hair or hair loss, depression, fatigue, chronic pain, always being cold, neuropathy, etc.? These are all things that point the finger at thyroid problems.
2. Are these problems common in your family (especially your mother)?
3. Is your body temperature low upon waking?
4. If you do an iodine test, does it show that you are deficient?

To properly make a diagnosis of thyroid problems, you need to leave no stone unturned. Since this hormone affects the rate that every cells works, it can have a wide range of problems (that are not always present). No wonder it's referred to as the "Great Mimicker."

Once the diagnosis is made, it is again the symptoms of thyroid problems and physical presentation that are the ultimate marker of improvement. Lab test are still unreliable and should serve as secondary markers (they do still have a purpose, don't get me wrong).

So here the challenge: changing our current way of thinking. Lab testing is modern, its sexy. Patient history and physical presentation is old school, its blah. Don't be swayed, go with what really works.

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