Thousands of people have accessed my material on thyroid (https://icaro.med.br/?s=Tireoide), especially https://icaro.med.br/Hipotireoidismo/ e https://icaro.med.br/tireoide/, videos on https://www.youtube.com/dricaroalves, I thank you very much for your confidence in my work!
And the most common question I've received in recent months is: “Doctor, what tests are needed to assess the thyroid”? Answer: Your doctor, who is competent and up-to-date, is the best person to answer this, assessing your individual needs - not least because your case may require more or less detailed tests.
VIDEO 1 - Thyroid Tests - THE BASICS for you to investigate WELL
VIDEO 2 - 12 things that mess up the THYROID (and/or its hormones) - Live by Dr. Icaro Alves Alcântara (Physician)
However, in general, what I ask my patients as soon as they come to see me are:
TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, Thyroglobulin and Ultrasound (US=Ultrasound=Ecography) (I explain details about these in the links above: I strongly recommend that you access, read, watch!)
Ideally, however, for a first consultation, I also ask for Antibodies (e.g. Anti-TPO, Anti-Thyroglobulin, Anti-TSH), Total T4, Total T3 and Doppler ultrasound (gives more details, in case of nodules or cysts) - if the patient can afford these and/or their insurance covers them, in order to make their assessment more complete.
It is worth noting, however: - Except in situations where the patient has no functioning thyroid (either completely removed or completely neutralized by treatments such as radioactive iodine), this noble gland responds very well to improved lifestyle habits, which is fundamental to restoring its health: https://icaro.med.br/15habitos/
Proper investigation of any organ, including glands, first requires detailed consultation, where the patient's complaints are listened to in an attentive and detailed manner and complemented by examinations. Performing tests without relating their results to detailed clinical data often leads to errors in diagnosis and treatment.
The thyroid doesn't work on its own and often in order to recover/optimize its functioning the patient will need to supply it with nutrients that are often lacking, such as Selenium, Iron, Zinc, L-tyrosine, etc - nutritional adequacy and supplementation, when necessary, ideally require competent professional advice and monitoring.
In other cases, in addition to the above corrections, the patient often needs to optimize the functioning of other glands (for example, when the adrenals “go bad” the thyroid can more easily be driven to exhaustion) and even replace other hormones, since they affect the production of thyroid hormones (and can suppress or hyperstimulate it): for example, adequate levels of GH and Melatonin are necessary for adequate production of T4 (Thyroxine), testosterone and progesterone deficiencies (and high levels of leptin, commonly increased when there is excess body fat) usually reduce the conversion of T4 into T3 by various tissues/organs in the body.
Got it? When it comes to the thyroid, do your part and seek competent, up-to-date medical care to meet your needs in the best possible way!
Have a good week!
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