Thyroid Test

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What Are Thyroid Blood Tests?

Various blood tests are used to check your thyroid function. They measure certain chemicals in your blood and can help diagnose and treat thyroid disorders. A single type of test can give some information about thyroid function, but doctors often recommend a combination of thyroid blood tests — called a thyroid panel — to learn the most about how your thyroid is functioning.

Why Are They Performed?

By analyzing the results of thyroid tests, your doctor can determine whether you have an overactive thyroid gland (called hyperthyroidism) or a low-functioning thyroid (called hypothyroidism). The laboratory test results can also show other problems, including Hashimoto's thyroiditis or Graves' disease.

Do I Need To Prepare for a Thyroid Blood Test?

No preparation is needed for thyroid blood testing. Unlike some blood tests, a thyroid blood test usually does not require you to avoid eating or drinking for a period before the test. 

What Are the Types of Thyroid Blood Tests and What Do They Measure?

Different thyroid blood tests detect levels of various substances in your blood that can give your doctor insight into how your thyroid is functioning. 

The most common thyroid blood tests are:

• TSH test: measures a hormone produced by the pituitary gland called thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH. If your pituitary gland detects that there's not enough thyroid hormone in your blood, it produces more TSH. That causes the thyroid gland to produce more thyroid hormone. If the pituitary gland detects too much thyroid hormone, it cuts back on the production of TSH, which causes the thyroid to produce less thyroid hormone.

If the TSH level in your blood is unusually high, that could mean you have hypothyroidism, or a low-functioning thyroid. If your blood has an abnormally low amount of TSH, you could have hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid.

• Thyroxine (T4) test: measures thyroxine, or T4, in your blood. T4 is a hormone produced by the thyroid gland. This test looks for either the total amount of T4 or for the amount of free T4. If you have low amounts of T4 in your blood, you may have hypothyroidism. Unusually high levels of T4 can be associated with hyperthyroidism.

Most T4 is bound to a protein. A small portion — called free T4 — is not. Some tests look for the total amount of T4. Doctors are increasingly recommending the free T4 test, which looks for the amount of free T4 in your blood and is often considered a better indication of thyroid function.

• Triiodothyronine (T3) test: measures another hormone produced by your thyroid, call triiodothyronine, or T3. These tests can also check for total T3 or free T3 in your blood. They are used to diagnose hyperthyroidism or the severity of hyperthyroidism. They are generally not helpful in detecting hypothyroidism.

Other, less common, thyroid blood tests look for: 

• Thyroglobulin, a protein produced by the thyroid 
• Thyroid binding proteins
• Thyroid antibodies

The levels of these substances can also give your doctor a look at different ways your body is responding to your thyroid’s performance.. The thyroid antibodies test can indicate whether your thyroid problems might be caused by an autoimmune disorder.

How Common Are Thyroid Problems?

Thyroid problems are relatively common. Roughly 20 million people in the United States have a thyroid disorder. Thyroid issues are five to eight times more common in women than men.

Sources:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/interpret-your-thyroid-test-results-3231840
https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/hypothyroidism/how-doctors-diagnose-hypothyroidism
https://www.healthline.com/health/thyroid-function-tests#takeaway
https://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-function-tests/