Everyone knows about the importance and importance of thyroid hormones, because they are the ones who kindle the furnace of our metabolism, being extremely important for the harmonious development of the body and the effectiveness of mental activity. However, not everyone knows that the activity of the thyroid gland is controlled by the content of a hormone in the blood, which we call thyroid-stimulating hormone. Its production is made in the holy of holies of the brain - a small organ weighing half a gram, which is called the pituitary gland.
However, the pituitary gland is not the most important “boss” that regulates the function of the thyroid gland. It is controlled by the hypothalamus, which produces thyrotropin-releasing hormone. In addition to orders of direct "superiors", the results of activity are very important for the pituitary gland. So, if it is discovered that there are too many thyroid hormones in the blood , the pituitary gland suspends its work. If, on the contrary, they are not enough, the secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone is enhanced. This is called the principle of feedback, this regulation mechanism is very characteristic of all processes in the human body.
Thyroid-stimulating hormone above normal is observed in some cases. Very rarely, this is due to the activity of the largest "boss" - the hypothalamus, sometimes its tumor can provoke a condition when it does not respond to signals about an increase in the content of thyroid hormones in the blood. Sometimes it’s all about pituitary disease. But most often, the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone rises due to the fact that there are disorders at the level of the thyroid gland and it can not cope with the work intended for it. Then there is a sharp increase in the production of thyroid-stimulating hormone in a futile attempt by the pituitary gland to increase the level of thyroid hormones by any means. Also, a slight increase in the level of the hormone in question is observed at high stresses, when the body needs to mobilize all its forces and therefore the thyroid gland works at full capacity, and the pituitary sensitivity to thyroid hormones decreases. Every time a doctor sees an increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone above normal, he is alarmed, because this symptom can be both a cause and a consequence of painful conditions. Therefore, tests for thyroid hormones are taken at the same time. Also, the level of the hormone in question rises in response to the introduction of opioid substances.
Thyroid-stimulating hormone is below normal when the amount of thyroid hormones in the blood is increased. At the same time, the thyroid gland produces too many of them and its painful production of these hormones causes the pituitary gland to suspend the synthesis and secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone. Also, its amount in the blood decreases with starvation and malnutrition. It will inevitably become less with serious somatic diseases, as well as some mental illnesses such as anorexia nervosa and bipolar affective disorder. In addition, diseases affecting the hypothalamus and pituitary cannot be ruled out.
Thyroid-stimulating hormone is produced in the same concentration in children and the elderly (except in cases of very early childhood and the elderly over 70), women and men. The hormone is produced cyclically, while the length of such a small cycle is approximately 2 hours, this rhythm is very close to the rhythm of the production of the hormone prolactin. It is not associated with the activity of the hypothalamus, however, it is suggested that there is some kind of hidden mechanism that allows you to regulate the activity of both of these hormones. They are produced most intensively before bedtime, in the evening, with somatic diseases this peak is much more pronounced than normal.
This thyroid-stimulating hormone is so unusual. Usually, he gets into the attention of doctors only if there is a malfunction in the thyroid gland. But he can tell about a lot of things, which does not prevent him from being very mysterious.