Thyroid is an endocrine gland that is a small, butterfly shaped gland located in the base of the neck under the skin, below Adam’s apple. Thyroid produces hormones that maintain body metabolism.
Thyroid produces:
- T3
- T4
- TSH.
These hormones from thyroid help in regulating the rate at which your body uses calories, growth and development of body.
Have you frequently experienced these symptoms:
- Tiredness
- More sensitivity to cold
- Constipation
- Dry skin
- Weight gain\ loss
- Hoarse voice
- Coarse hair
- Coarse skin
All this may be because of inadequate levels of thyroid hormone. There are 2 types of thyroid diseases:
- Hyperthyroidism
- HypothyroidisM
HYPERTHYROIDISM means increase in TSH levels i.e increase in level of T3 and T4.
HYPOTHYROIDISM means decrease in TSH levels i.e decrease in level of T3 and T4.
Pregnant women with a history of unregulated TSH levels in their blood should stay extremely alert throughout their pregnancy. Excessively high or level thyroid hormone levels directly affect the foetus growth and development. As during pregnancy it is tough to travel, free home blood sample collection services can be a great option.
To know about your Thyroid hormone level, you need to go through a TSH test, (know your TSH level).
The TSH normal range is 0.4-4.0 mIU/L. If test results fall between this then your thyroid gland is working well. But if the levels are below or above this range your doctor may ask for further tests to diagnose the diseases.
The normal range of T3 is 100 to 200 ng/dL, and the normal range of T4 is 5.0 to 12.0 μg/dL.
There are 3 Thyroid tests.
- TSH
- T3 and T4
- Thyroid antibodies test.
TSH measures Thyroid stimulating hormone. This is usually the first test your healthcare provider\ doctor will order.
T3 and T4 measures the level of different thyroid hormones in your blood.
Thyroid antibodies test measures thyroid antibodies (markers in the blood).
Other Thyroid tests are:
- Ultrasound.
- Thyroid scan.
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- Radioactive iodine uptake test.
- Biopsy
- CT scan
- Pet scan
Preparing and Drawing Blood for the Test
- You may need to fast for several hours before the test.
- When you arrive for the test, you’ll be asked to sit in a comfortable chair or lie down.
- A healthcare professional, like a technician or nurse, will tie a band of rubber tightly around your upper arm to make the veins swell with blood. Once the healthcare professional has found an appropriate vein, they’ll insert a needle under the skin and into the vein.
- The healthcare professional will collect your blood in test tubes and send it to a laboratory for analysis.
- They will withdraw the needle and place pressure on the puncture wound until the bleeding stops. They will then place a small bandage over the wound.
The best diagnostic centre follows all the safety guidelines and comfort measures to give an effortless, painless and yielding diagnostic procedure.