The thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH, is a type of blood test that is done to check the level of thyroid balance in the human body. TSH is generated in the body when the hypothalamus produces the substance thyrotropin. This hormone enables the pituitary glands to produce and release TSH.

In simpler terms, it can be said that TSH is the hormone that regulates the functioning of the thyroid gland.

A brief overview of TSH
The pituitary gland of the human brain is the originating point of TSH which controls the stimulation of other hormones—triiodothyronine or T3 and Thyroxine or T4—being generated in the thyroid glands. For the smooth functioning of our bodies, it is imperative that there is a balance in the quantity of these enzymes and hormones. This balance enables the other health aspects of the human body to be maintained well and is the wellspring of overall health for the body.

TSH levels
It is imperative that the TSH normal range is maintained in the human body. Investigations show us that in a healthy adult, the TSH normal range is between the ranges of 0.4–4.o mlU/L. There are also other organizations that have opined that level till 2.5 happens to be the ideal level that should be considered as the TSH normal range. Anything that is between 2.5 and 4, could be considered to be a higher level. However, this is a range that could alter, according to the age and the other health conditions of a person. The following are some of the variations that can be pointed out in the TSH range.
– For a premature baby, 0.7–27 mlU/L is the TSH normal range.
– From birth to the fourth day 1–39 mlU/L is the TSH normal range
– For children within 20 weeks, the TSH normal range will be between 1.7 and 9.1 mlU/L.
– For adults, the TSH normal range will be between 0.4–4.2mlU/L.
– For older people, the TSH normal range is between 0.5–8.9 mlU/L.
– Lastly, for pregnant women, the TSH normal range will be between 3 and 5 mlU/L.

A distortion in the TSH normal range
For adults, a reading of the TSH above 4.0mlU/L is considered to be quite high. This indicates that the thyroid glands are overactive and are producing large amounts of the thyroid hormone—hyperthyroidism. One of the main reasons that trigger off the situation is the ailment of autoimmune disease. This condition could also happen if the thyroid gland is removed, or if the person is exposed to radiation treatment. One of the main ways of countering this condition is by controlling and restricting the diet of the person.

Similarly, we see that of the level of TSH below 4.0 mlU/L will be considered to be low for normal adults. This is a condition, hypothyroidism, that is just the exact opposite of having high TSH levels. In the context of the low TSH level, it can be said that this is one problem in which case the thyroid gland is overactive and produces a higher level of thyroid hormone. This problem is called hyperthyroidism. This is an ailment that could again be triggered off by the autoimmune disease that is also known as the graves disease. This disease is also known as goiter, in which the body produces an increased amount of iodine.

A very common process or method of treatment is anti-thyroid medications. Often people also do take radioactive iodine. These two courses of treatment are currently most popular and effective. Patients have responded to these two treatments methods quite well and therefore, they are popular.

It has been observed that finding out the TSH normal range happens to be one of the prime factors that indicate the condition of the thyroid gland in the body. This process that has been used for a very long time. However, it has been observed recently, that this process is not devoid of certain pitfalls. In fact, it has also been accepted by many doctors that using the TSH index could be an incorrect way to diagnose the actual functioning of the thyroid glands. This means that all that has been learned out about the thyroid glands up to now could actually be wrong. Improvements are in the offing to improve the overall testing method. Hopefully, in the not so distant future, we will have a more accurate index for measuring this important function in our body.