If you do not yet understand how significant your thyroid health is, or that your thyroid health plays a crucial role in your overall well-being, here is some basic information regarding balancing hypothyroid health to help you understand the basics. Whether you are personally dealing with thyroid issues or simply want to learn why your TSH and/or TRH blood work numbers are off, this will break down the basics for you.
Your Thyroid Gland is a butter-fly shape organ located in the front of your neck, just below the Adams's apple. It is associated with the throat chakra and "speaking truth" and "speaking up for yourself". It can change in its health, and is a litmus for different stressors in your life.
Your thyroid is made up of two balanced lobes connected by a narrow band of tissue called the isthmus. I like to call your thyroid gland your "check engine light", as it is the only part of your endocrine system you are able to actually see and palpate. Your thyroid helps control your "metabolic set point", and helps to regulate your metabolism, growth, sleep, and energy levels.
Your thyroid produces two main hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). These hormones are made from the uptake of iodine and the amino acid tyrosine. T3 and T4 are released by the thyroid into the bloodstream, where they travel to your tissues and organs and influence your heart rate, body temperature, and your other crucial physiological processes. The production and release of these thyroid hormones are regulated by your hypothalamus and pituitary gland through TSH (pituitary) and TRH (hypothalamus).
TSH is secreted by the pituitary gland, specifically by the anterior pituitary, which acts on the thyroid gland, triggering the production and release of T3 and T4. This feedback look helps maintain hormonal balance within your body.
When your thyroid gland is not producing enough thyroid hormone, the pituitary gland releases more Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) to try and stimulate the thyroid gland to produce more hormone. This increase in TSH levels is often a compensatory response to low thyroid hormone levels in the blood.
When TSH levels are high, it can lead to "physical hypothyroid symptoms" like fatigue, weight gain, constipation, dry skin, hair loss, cold intolerance, muscle weakness, and depression. These symptoms result from the reduced metabolic activity and slower physiological processes associated with low thyroid hormone levels. Additional physical symptoms include goiter formation, hormonal imbalances, menstrual irregularity, fertility issues, high cholesterol levels, and elevated blood pressure.
There are also "mental hypothyroid symptoms" related to high TSH levels. These cognitive and emotional effects are real, and should not be dismissed. Examples of these symptoms are mood changes, brain fog, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating and depression.
TRH, on the other hand is secreted by the hypothalamus. TRH is produced by specialized neurons within the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. When released, TRH travels through the bloodstream to the anterior pituitary gland, where it stimulates the release of TSH.
The relationship between TRH and TSH is one of feedback and regulation within this hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis. When thyroid hormone (T3 and T4) levels are low, TRH and TSH increase to stimulate thyroid hormone production, and they decrease when these thyroid hormones are high.
So, in cases where both TRH and TSH are both high, it suggests a dysregulation in the feedback loop of the HPT axis. This dysregulation could be due to a dysfunction of the thyroid gland, pituitary gland disorders, or hypothalamic dysfunction.
So, the root problem questions is where and what is causing this dysfunction and how to get back into balance?