Your thyroid
Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. Its hormones control how your body uses energy. They affect nearly every organ and many vital functions — breathing, heart rate, weight, digestion and mood.
Thyroid tests check how well it is working, and help diagnose and find the cause of thyroid diseases such as hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.
Blood tests
| Test | What it measures |
|---|---|
| TSH | thyroid-stimulating hormone — usually the first test ordered |
| T3 and T4 | the levels of the thyroid's own hormones |
| Thyroid antibodies | certain antibodies (markers in the blood); can help diagnose autoimmune thyroid disorders |
Imaging tests
- CT scans
- Ultrasound
- Nuclear medicine tests:
- Thyroid scan — small amounts of radioactive material make a picture of the thyroid's size, shape and position. It can help find the cause of hyperthyroidism and check for nodules (lumps).
- Radioactive iodine uptake test (thyroid uptake test) — checks how well the thyroid is working and can help find the cause of hyperthyroidism.
Sources
Based on "Thyroid Tests," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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