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Conventional Lab Ranges Don’t Mean Squat

Updated: Apr 15, 2021

CONVENTIONAL LAB TEST MARKERS


I get asked a lot about which lab markers I use when dealing with hypothyroidism symptoms.

Sadly, most conventional doctors don’t look at the bigger picture and only request TSH or thyroid-stimulating hormones in order to gauge your thyroid health.


And why is that? Don’t get me wrong here, I LOVE my doctors and would never claim that anyone would go through the grind of med school if they did not want to help people out!

But the medical model is designed to diagnose and treat disease. And, truth be told, autoimmune disease and nutrition are not really part of most medical trainings.


STANDARD OF CARE


When it comes to standard healthcare, doctors don't track or screen for Hashimoto's or other possible causes of thyroid symptoms because it does not change the treatment, which is to diagnose a disease and prescribe a drug. And that is why they only ask to see TSH and maybe T4, since, until those marks are out of range, they do not have treatment for it…


Something else to consider are the lab ranges. In general, conventional doctors diagnose based on disease ranges and not functional ranges. (If you want to understand the trouble with blood ranges, click here.)


And yes, insurance and big pharma play a role here as well, but I don’t even want to go there now.


Therefore, your doctor is not bad, he/she is following guidelines. And those guidelines do not consider lifestyle and nutrition as standard of care. Thus, if your labs are “normal”, good luck with your symptoms and come back when you are really sick…


Standard healthcare systems are based largely on doing tests only if they may affect treatment. Many people suffer from thyroid imbalances that are not advanced enough to create a pathological range on blood test.


WHY YOU DON'T FEEL BETTER EVEN IF TAKING YOUR MEDS


From a functional approach, however, one can find these imbalances by looking at a combination of markers in addition to TSH and T4 and formulate a plan of action from them.


Therefore, if the solution for your problem is anything other than drugs or surgeries, they do not consider it a "medical necessity" to dig further. Thus the "you are fine, your labs are normal, take an antidepressant, it’s all in your head, welcome to getting old, bla bla" talk!


Low thyroid function falls into one of six patterns, however, only ONE of them can be resolved with thyroid hormone medication. The others will require lifestyle changes, nutrition, stress reductions and may or may not need medication. This is not considered part of the standard care. And that is why, my friend, so many of us are suffering.


FUNCTIONAL THYROID MARKERS


Here are the markers I like to see on my initial consult to assess what is going on with your thyroid, to understand whether or not you can benefit from taking thyroid hormones and what else should be done instead or in addition!




Namaste.


Don’t despair! If you need some help correcting this, feel free to schedule a DISCOVERY CALL with me and we can discuss how to tackle and understand your thyroid once and for all!


apply for a 30 minute complimentary Discovery Call Here.

Isabela Fortes is a

Board Certified Holistic Health Expert, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner

Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher Level II

Certified Yoga Therapist

She teaches and works with clients in Southern California and Virtually anywhere in the world.

APPLY HERE to work with Isabela 1:1

Get to the bottom of your fatigue. Get your energy back and feel like yourself again!





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