| There are many tests in life but there are some of | | | | a patient is very important. You may not appreciate |
| these tests you should not fail. For some of these | | | | this much but a physician can glean much information |
| tests, there may not even be second chances. These | | | | from a simple physical checkup. |
| tests are your medical examinations, some of which | | | | The patient's history is also an important factor in the |
| include thyroid blood tests. It is imperative you do not | | | | formulation of a diagnosis. Past illnesses in the patient's |
| fail these tests as they are of great significance in the | | | | family should be taken into consideration as there may |
| assessment of your physical well-being. | | | | be a genetic relation to the patient's current condition. It |
| Thyroid Blood Tests | | | | is imperative that you be honest to your doctor when |
| Thyroid blood tests are used to measure the | | | | he asks some questions related to the checkup. |
| concentrations of thyroid hormone in your plasma, that | | | | Other laboratory tests include blood tests for thyroid |
| is, the liquid portion of your blood. A small amount is | | | | antibodies, nuclear medicine scanning of the thyroid |
| drawn from your vein and from it, the concentrations | | | | gland, ultrasound of the thyroid gland, thyroid fine |
| of thyroid hormone are measured. Thyroid blood tests | | | | needle aspiration biopsy, and others. |
| are used nowadays to approximate the level of | | | | Screening for thyroid bodies can be done when your |
| activity of the thyroid gland -- whether it is functioning | | | | doctor suspects that your body may have formulated |
| normally or not. | | | | antibodies against your thyroid. Normally, your immune |
| Thyroid blood tests commonly include the | | | | system produces antibodies against anything it deems |
| measurement of free thyroxine, total thyroxine, and | | | | foreign to eliminate a possible threat. In some cases, |
| triiodothyronine. Free thyroxine means that this specific | | | | the body develops immunity against its own tissues |
| thyroid hormone is in its unbound form and it is not | | | | and this could happen in conditions like Hashimoto's |
| bound to a protein called thyroxine-binding globulin. Free | | | | thyroiditis. |
| thyroxine can exert its effect on tissues whereas | | | | Nuclear medicine scanning of the thyroid gland and |
| bound thyroxine cannot. Thyroxine, as a whole, can | | | | ultrasound are used to detect probable thyroid lesions |
| also be measured. Triiodothyronine, the other thyroid | | | | and may approximate as to its malignancy. However, |
| hormone, acts quicker than thyroxine but is found in | | | | in suspecting malignancy, most doctors prefer to base |
| lesser quantities. Most thyroxine released from the | | | | their diagnosis on thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsies |
| thyroid gland is eventually converted into | | | | as the tests above could be misleading. |
| triiodothyronine. | | | | In thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy, a sample of the |
| If you are also taking medications, it may be best to | | | | thyroid tissue is extracted using a syringe. It is |
| inform your doctor of this prior to a thyroid blood test. | | | | important to make the experience as less traumatic to |
| Some medications may affect your results, especially | | | | the patient as possible and some doctors may use a |
| medications for an ongoing thyroid condition. Tell your | | | | topical anesthetic to lessen the pain. This tissue is then |
| doctor what medications you are taking and when you | | | | prepared on a slide, processed, stained, and examined |
| last took them. | | | | under the microscope for abnormal cells that may |
| Blood tests, however, can only measure the activity of | | | | point to malignancy. |
| your thyroid gland and not the cause of why it may | | | | Thyroid blood tests are only the tip of the iceberg but |
| behave abnormally. If your doctor detects an | | | | nonetheless, you should not fail these tests. Thyroid |
| abnormality in your thyroid hormone levels, he may | | | | diseases have effects that you may fail to notice in |
| request other tests for a proper diagnosis. | | | | the beginning but would prove to have severe |
| The Other Tests | | | | repercussions down the road. So take the test and |
| For a proper diagnosis, a physician relies on tools that | | | | make sure you pass. If you fail, seek your doctor for |
| are at his disposal. One of these is a physical | | | | his professional advice to make sure you pass it the |
| examination and history-taking. Physical assessment of | | | | next time you take it. |