Thyroid stimulating hormone.
Thyroid hormone tests are blood tests that check how well the thyroid gland is working. The thyroid gland makes hormones that regulate the way the body uses energy. The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland that lies in front of your windpipe (trachea), just below your voice box (larynx). Thyroid hormone tests are done to: 1  Find out what is causing an abnormal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test. 2  For more information, see the topic Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) . 3  This is the most common reason for thyroid hormone tests. 4  Check how well treatment of thyroid disease is working. TSH Testing. In diagnosing hypothyroidism, your doctor will take into account both your symptoms and the results of a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test. In essence, hypothyroidism is the result of diminished levels of thyroid hormones—known as T3 and T4. Thyroid hormone tests are done to: 1  Find out what is causing an abnormal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test. 2  Check how well treatment of thyroid disease is working. 3  Screen newborns to find out if the thyroid gland function is normal. Thyroid function test. A blood test measuring your hormone levels is the only accurate way to find out whether there's a problem. The test, called a thyroid function test, looks at levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine (T4) in the blood. TSH TESTS The best way to initially test thyroid function is to measure the TSH level in a blood sample. A high TSH level indicates that the thyroid gland is failing because of a problem that is directly affecting the thyroid (primary hypothyroidism). Thyroid function tests are blood tests which help to check the function of the thyroid gland. They are mainly used to detect hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). Note: the information below is a general guide only. Different thyroid tests can be done by taking a blood sample to check the adequacy of the thyroid gland in terms of hormone production. Blood test for thyroid can help determine if the thyroid function is normal, underactive, or overactive.
http://www.webmd.com/women/thyroid-hormone-tests http://www.webmd.com/women/thyroid-hormone-tests http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/hypothyroidism/hypothyroidism-diagnosis http://www.webmd.com/women/thyroid-hormone-tests http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Thyroid-under-active/Pages/Diagnosis.aspx http://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-function-tests/ http://patient.info/health/thyroid-function-tests-leaflet http://www.anandlab.com/why-are-thyroid-tests-done-and-what-do-thyroid-levels-reveal/
what is a hypothyroidism test done for