What Thyroid Lab Tests You Need
Here are 5 Important Thyroid Lab Tests to have done if you are concerned about your Thyroid health:
TSH, Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), is produced in the pituitary gland, which is located in your brain. It controls the production and release of the thyroid hormones T4 and T3. A TSH test is used to find out how well your thyroid is working. This is usually the only test doctors do, but it doesn't give you the full picture.
Free T4 & Free T3 are hormones produced by your thyroid gland. T4 is converted into T3, the active form of the hormone. Testing the free versions of these hormones tells us how much are available in the bloodstream for the body to use. Elevated levels of free T3 and free T4 are associated with an overactive thyroid, and low levels are associated with an underactive thyroid.
Thyroid Antibodies are tested to diagnose autoimmune thyroid disease and distinguish it from other forms of thyroid dysfunction. In other words, it can help your doctor figure out if your immune system is attacking the thyroid gland, or if something else might be the cause. The two thyroid antibody tests I recommend are Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody (TPOAb) and Thyroglobulin Antibody (TgAb).
