Video:What Is a Normal TSH Level?
with Dr. Allen PetersPhysician and Healthy Aging Expert Dr. Allen Peters of NourishingWellness.com discusses what are normal TSH levels. Video produced for About.com by Geffner Productions.See Transcript
Transcript:What Is a Normal TSH Level?
Hi I'm Dr. Allen Peters, Physician & Healthy Aging Expert with NourishingWellness.com and I'm here today for About.com to share with you what is a normal TSH level?
What is the Normal Range for a TSH Level?
Traditionally the TSH level, which stands for thyroid stimulating hormone, was thought to be normal within a range of 0.5 to 5.5 mIU/L. However that has changed significantly in the last years. Since 2003 the normal range was adjusted to be 0.3 to 3.0 by the endocrinology association.
Many physicians now feel that 2.5 should actually be the upper limit, and I am among those physicians. And as a matter of fact, I like to see it closer to 2.0.
Why Thyroid Health is Important
As a clinician I want to make another very important point. I pay significant attention to the patient’s symptoms and also to the thyroid hormone levels themselves, not just the thyroid stimulating hormone. And why is thyroid health so important anyway? And that is because the thyroid hormones, the thyroid gland, is one of the most essential glands, the most essential hormones in your body. It is a major controller of your entire metabolism. You do not do well folks if you are hypothyroid or hyperthyroid. You need to do these tests in order to find out if your thyroid gland is functioning normally, or if it’s overreacting or underreacting and therefore responsible for the symptoms that you are having.
I hope that this has been helpful for you. Thanks for watching. To learn more, visit us online at About.com.
