What is thyroid stimulating hormone? Thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone, TSH, TSH) is a biologically active substance, a glycoprotein, which is produced by the anterior pituitary gland.. TSH receptors are found on thyroid epithelial cells. Its secretion is regulated by the hypothalamus, as well as by the feedback system.

Thyrotropin is one of the most important regulators of metabolism in the body. Hormones affect not only the physical, but also the emotional state of a person.. Thyrotropin is an important component in the metabolic system.

What is the TSH hormone responsible for in women and men? The TSH hormone performs the following functions in the human body:.

controls the synthesis of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4);

takes part in the regulation of the menstrual cycle in women, reproductive function, bowel function;

can affect the functioning of the hearing, vision, nervous and cardiovascular systems;

participates in the production of nucleic acids, phospholipids, vitamin A, glucose, red blood cells;

improves the absorption of iodine by the thyroid gland;

takes part in maintaining heat exchange.

There is an inverse relationship between the level of free thyroxine and thyroid-stimulating hormone in the blood (with an increase in the concentration of thyroxine, the body will synthesize less TSH, with a decrease, it will produce more). A decrease in the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone in the blood is observed somewhat less frequently than an increase.

Causes of an increase in thyrotropin A slight increase in the concentration of TSH in the blood is possible in the following cases:.

chronic fatigue and lack of sleep;

consuming large amounts of iodine;

excessive physical activity;

stressful situations, emotional arousal;

improper preparation for the study.

An elevated level of the hormone can be determined if a person has severe mental and somatic diseases..

If the result of the analysis shows a significant excess of the norm, this may indicate that the patient has:.

hypothyroidism;

inflammatory processes in the thyroid gland;

kidney failure;

diseases of the central nervous system;

neoplasms;

gestosis during pregnancy;

lead poisoning.

A high level of TSH may indicate the presence of tissue resistance to thyroid hormones.. In addition, it can be observed after cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder), hemodialysis, the use of anticonvulsants, beta-blockers, neuroleptics, antiemetic drugs.

Causes of a decrease in thyrotropin A slight fluctuation in the level of TSH in a woman can occur depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle. During the bearing of a child, as a rule, there is a slight decrease, which is a variant of the norm.. An increase in thyrotropin during pregnancy can lead to the development of complications (fetal growth arrest, spontaneous abortion).

A decrease in the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone is possible in the following cases:.

malnutrition (including following strict weight loss diets);

the use of certain drugs (anabolic steroids, beta-agonists, drugs for the treatment of hyperprolactinemia);

uncontrolled use of hormonal drugs;

stressful situations;

severe disease in old age.

A significant decrease in the concentration of thyrotropin in the blood is possible if the patient has meningitis, encephalitis, neoplasms of the thyroid gland, thyrotoxicosis, Itsenko-Cushing syndrome, diffuse toxic goiter, depression.

Thyrotropin may decrease with lesions of the hypothalamus and / or pituitary gland. The patient's thyroid gland can function normally.. Most often, such pathological conditions are observed when:.

neoplasms of the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, brain;

traumatic brain injury;

irradiation;

surgical intervention in the brain;

hypophysitis.

Symptoms of imbalanceHormonal disorders can be asymptomatic or have few symptoms for a long time.

To increase the content of thyrotropin in the blood, the following symptoms are characteristic:.

daytime sleepiness;

apathy;

cognitive disorders (memory impairment and impaired concentration);

depression;

lowering blood pressure;

loss of appetite;

menstrual irregularity;

decreased sex drive;

voice change;

weight gain;

convulsions.

With a prolonged increase in patients, there may be a violation of the pace of speech (slowdown), hyperemia and / or cyanosis of the skin of the neck, neck deformity.

With a reduced level of TSH in the blood, the following clinical signs are noted:.

increased sweating;

tachycardia;

dyspnea;

increase in blood pressure;

weight loss;

foreign body sensation in the eyes;

anxiety.

DiagnosisIt is recommended to regularly monitor the level of TSH, this is especially important for the health of women over 40 years of age..

Indications for the appointment of an analysis for thyroid hormones can be:.

delayed sexual and mental development in children;

arrhythmia, tachycardia;

myopathy;

infertility;

amenorrhea;

erectile disfunction;

hyperprolactinemia;

constipation;

alopecia;

puffiness;

dry skin;

decrease in body temperature;

insomnia;

decreased visual acuity;

tremor;

sudden change in body weight up or down;

evaluation of the effectiveness of hormone therapy.

To identify the cause and select a treatment regimen, it is usually necessary to determine not only the level of thyrotropin in the laboratory, but also triiodothyronine and thyroxine.. Additional testing may be needed to clarify the diagnosis..

If you need several consecutive laboratory tests, it is recommended to donate blood at about the same time, do tests in the same laboratory.

Preparation for analysisTo conduct a laboratory determination of the level of TSH, you should properly prepare.

Conditions:.

It is best to donate blood for analysis in the morning (preferably before 10:00).

It must be at least 8 hours after the last meal. For dinner on the eve of the test, it is better to choose easily digestible foods, fatty and fried foods should be excluded. Do not drink alcohol 5 days before blood donation. You are allowed to drink water.

On the day of the study, you need to stop smoking, avoid physical and mental overload.

10-15 minutes before taking blood for analysis, the patient must be provided with complete rest..

2 days before the analysis, it is not recommended to visit the bath, sauna.

Before taking the test, you need to cancel the use of drugs that can affect the level of the hormone (after consultation with the doctor). If this is not possible, inform the health worker of all medications used..

In order for the result of the analysis for hormones to be accurate, it is necessary to follow the rules for preparing for its delivery. Blood to determine the level of thyroid hormones cannot be donated after physiotherapy procedures, ultrasound and X-ray examination. If any other studies were carried out before the laboratory analysis, then the time of blood donation must be agreed with the doctor. Thus, after administration of contrast, an interval of at least 72 hours may be required before blood sampling..

Norms of the hormone TTGS Immediately after birth, the concentration of thyrotropin in the blood of a child rises sharply, after which it gradually decreases over 1 week. According to statistics, TSH levels are approximately 20% higher in women than in men..

The indicator is characterized by daily fluctuations in concentration. Thus, the maximum level of thyrotropin in the blood is observed between 02:00 and 04:00. By 6-8 o'clock in the morning, the concentration of the hormone begins to decrease, reaching its minimum in the evening (17:00-19:00). If a person is awake at night, the synthesis of this substance can be significantly impaired..

The norms of thyroid-stimulating hormone are presented in the table.

Patient group.

Reference values, mcU/ml.

Non-pregnant women.

0.4–4.0.

Pregnant women (all trimesters).

0.2–3.5.

Men.

0.4–4.0.

Imbalance correction No treatment is required for a physiological increase in thyrotropin levels. In other cases, in order to normalize the hormonal background, it is necessary to determine the cause of the development of the pathology and eliminate it..

The treatment regimen for a reduced or elevated level of thyroid-stimulating hormone depends on the pathological condition that caused this problem..

With an increase in the level of thyrotropin, hormonal preparations that contain thyroxine may be prescribed.. You can increase the level of TSH with the help of synthetic hormones. It is strongly not recommended to do it yourself, all medications are prescribed by a doctor after receiving the results of the examination, and are taken under his control.

When the level of thyrotropin changes due to the presence of benign or malignant neoplasms in the body, surgical treatment may be necessary.

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