Dr. Mark Starr’s Hypothyroidism Type 2 is quite the eye opener. This book is a “must-read” for every medical practitioner today. The following statement in his Introduction is an excellent summarization of the content, evidence, and research he so aptly provides in the ensuing pages:
“This book is a compilation of the overwhelming evidence that not only is the modern laboratory testing used to diagnose hypothyroidism completely inadequate, but the current treatment for the illness is equally lacking in efficacy.”
Dr. Starr explains that the vast majority of patients with hypothyroidism have “normal” thyroid blood tests, because the tests do not detect Type 2 hypothyroidism. He explains the fallacy that modern medicine has adopted the TSH as the “gold standard,” that is, if the TSH is normal, the search for hypothyroidism usually ends.
As Dr. Starr explains, “Doctors currently ignore patients’ medical histories and physical findings consistent with hypothyroidism. The laboratory tests for the illness reign supreme.
Modern doctors use the thyroid blood tests as guidelines for treatment as well as diagnosis. The end result is the health disaster that is upon us.”
The thyroid acts as a master gland in our bodies. It acts much like the gasoline in our cars. There is not one part of our body not impacted by the thyroid. Without gas, our cars do not run. Without the thyroid, we cannot live. A poorly functioning thyroid results in all sorts of physical problems.
Another excellent thyroid resource is Thyroid Power by Drs. Richard and Karilee Shames who state, “The standard lab tests are unable to identify the millions of borderline low thyroid sufferers. The thyroid tests used today are just not sensitive enough to identify mild thyroid failure. You could be uncomfortably low in thyroid and still show normal in tests. Individuals differ in what is ‘normal’ for them.”
Because of today’s current testing trends, the frustration is that people often have to be really sick before they are diagnosed and treated for their low thyroid symptoms. Dr. Shames goes on to say:
“When blood tests are read, the range defined as normal for thyroid is so wide that it includes almost everyone, disregarding the unique metabolic needs of each person. Those diagnosed as really sick are actually only the tip of a large iceberg. There are many, many more who are mildly to moderately affected. These people can feel miserable for years with a variety of minor complaints that can keep a group of specialists quite busy, each surveying and treating the problem from their own limited perspective.”
The message is clear that it is important for practitioners to listen to the patient’s story—family history and past and present symptoms—in addition to reviewing the lab work. The experts tell us that if given a choice between the lab work and the history and symptoms, a wiser choice is to pay attention to the history and symptoms.
However, for a practitioner to obtain a good history, it requires time, something so limited to them today. You and I can help by first educating ourselves and then taking an organized, preferably typed, personal health summary with us to our doctor’s visit.
The following lab tests, along with my symptoms, confirmed my hypothyroidism: TSH, Free T3, Free T4, and TPO (thyroid peroxidase antibodies – a test for autoimmune thyroiditis).
Leading authorities well versed in the proper care and treatment of the thyroid are in agreement that hypothyroidism is growing at epidemic proportions. Tomorrow’s article will address why this is happening.
