How to diagnose an overactive thyroid gland

Usually to diagnose hypothyroidism, the doctors start with the blood test of the person. This blood test measures the TSH or the thyroid-stimulating hormone of the patient. Usually a normal level of TSH is considered to be between 0.3 to 3.0. A TSH above 5.5is considered being hypothyroid. Most practitioners believe that the TSH level should be kept below the normal level that is at a lower level during the time of pregnancy in females.

Various kinds of blood tests are done to help you diagnose the thyroid:

- Total T4: also called the total thyroxine- a low level of total T4 combined with an increases TSH indicates hypothyroid.
- Free T4: also called the free thyroxine in which a low Free T4 level combined with an increased TSH indicates the presence of hypothyroidism
- Total T3: also called the total Triodothyroxine. In this stage, a low total T3 level along with the increased TSH indicates the presence of hypothyroidism.
- Free T3: also called the Free Triiodothyroxine, in this stage a low level of Free T3 along with an increases level of TSH indicate the presence of hypothyroidism.

With the advancement in the technology, and with the improved methods of diagnosis, it is now possible to properly diagnose and prevent the hypothyroid with proper medication such as Thyromine before the severe symptoms develop. Usually the physicians look into the history and the physical exams of the patients before completing the tests and performing laboratory tests on the patients blood after that.

Physical Examination: the physician checks the patient for any signs for hypothyroid. He checks the patient’s eyes, hair, skin ears and all to find any such signs.

- Goiter: in goiter the glands in the neck swell up due to the lack of iodine. The presence of goiter is an indication of an enlarged thyroid. The physician might suspect the presence a sub acute throditis if the person has an enlarged gland.
- Thyroid neck check: usually women, who are undergoing or experiencing menopause symptoms, must always perform a self-examination, which is called the thyroid check. It is done in a very simple procedure. You have to hold a mirror in front of the neck area where the thyroid gland is located. Slightly tilt your head back and take a sip of water and swallow while you watch your neck during the procedure. Observe if any bulges or protrusions occur. If incase you feel that there is swelling in your neck or your neck bulges out while you perform the test, call up your physician and consult him immediately.
- Ultra sound : it is the most basic test for diagnosing thyroid. It can help visualize the thyroid easily and specific abnormalities but it cannot measure the function of the glands.

There are many other blood tests also to diagnose thyroid. They could be performed to detect the levels of calcitonin, and calcium etc and to diagnose a person with the possibilities of anaemia and other liver functions that could be affected by hypothyroidism.

If the doctor does find something abnormal, he will often prescribe medication, but many people find this hard to tolerate and can even cause more health issues. According to most readers, if you suspect you have thyroid issues, the best course of action is to try a more gentle natural remedy first. Not only is it cheaper but you also have no risk of nasty side effects.

So try something natural like Thyromine first, and if problems persist then it is time to go and see a doctor. For most people though, this is enough and you save yourself both a doctors fee and a large prescription medicine bill. We have a good indepth review of this wonderful product up at Thyromine review.