Thyroid problems affect up to 60% of women - obviously, the majority of affected women are completely unaware of the problem. For this reason, most doctors do not properly test for thyroid problems.

First, the most important test to get diagnosed is a simple temperature! Body temperature is the best indicator for hypothyroidism - the lower i t is, the more likely you've got it.

Second, there is no one simple blood test to determine if you have an underactive thyroid. This is because there are different things that can be going wrong with your body impacting how your body absorbs the hormones that the thyroid gland produces. For instance, if your thyroid gland does not produce enough of its hormones [T3 & T4] then you have a slow thyroid. If your thyroid does produce enough hormones, but you have a high content of binding proteins in your body, it effectively nullifies the T3 and T4, and puts you in the same position as someone whose thyroid gland isn't secreting enough hormones.

For these reasons, you need to get, at minimum, the following blood tests done: TSH, T3, Free T3, T4, Free T4, Reverse T3, Reverse T4.

The TSH tests your pituitary gland to see if it is stimulating your thyroid gland. The more it is stimulating the gland, the less the gland is working on its own.

T3 and T4 test your body for the hormones that your thyroid gland produces.

Free T3 and Free T4 test your body to see how much of the T3 and T4 present in your body is useful? That is, of the present T3 and T4, how much is free from the binding proteins making it useless?

Reverse T3 and Reverse T4 have to do with the body attacking T3 and T4, also nullifying its effectiveness.

Just one of these sort of problems makes you hypothyroid. Testing just one area, though, may miss the problem, which is why you need to get it all checked!

I have had a thyroid problem for five known years, only one of which I have been diagnosed. I have felt wonderful since starting meds - and was on the cover of the Woman's World thyroid article this past April.

I would be more than happy to answer any questions anyone might have regarding this area. Drop me a line at thyroid~justice.com [that's my e-mail - thyroid AT justice.com]

Margaret