Every year, 25th May is celebrated as the World Thyroid Day. The thyroid gland is a small organ that is located in the front of the neck and wrapped around the windpipe. The gland is shaped like a butterfly and helps your body do specific things just like other glands. The thyroid gland makes hormones that help control some vital functions of your body.
If your thyroid gland is not working properly, it can cause various issues in the body.
If your body makes too many thyroid hormones, you can develop a condition called hyperthyroidism. And if your body makes too few thyroid hormones, it's called hypothyroidism. Both the conditions need medical intervention.
What does the thyroid do?
Thyroid hormones control metabolism, which is a process where the food you eat is transformed into energy. The energy is used by the body to keep all the system's working.
When you get tested yourself for thyroid, the reports show the values for different thyroid T1, T2, T3, T4 and TSH. Here is all it means.
T0, T1 and T2
T0, T1 and T2 are the hormone precursors and byproducts of the thyroid hormone synthesis. These are totally inert and do not act on a thyroid hormone receptor.
T3
T3 test is the level of the hormone triiodothyronine. The test is usually suggested when the result for T4 and TSH suggest hyperthyroidism, an overactive thyroid gland. The normal range for T3 is 100-200 ng/dL. Too high levels can indicate a condition called Grave's disease, which is an autoimmune disorder associated with hyperthyroidism.
T4 and TSH
These are the two most common thyroid function tests and are usually advised together. The T4 test is known as the thyroxine test. A high level of T4 indicates an overactive thyroid gland.
The common symptoms include anxiety, unexplained weight loss, tremors and diarrhoea. Most T4 in your body is bound to protein and a small amount of it is not, which is called the free T4. Free T4 is the form that is readily available for your body to use. Sometimes the free T4 level is checked along with the T4 test.
The TSH test measures the level of thyroid-stimulating hormones in your blood. The normal test range is between 0.4 to 4.0 mIU/L. If your TSH reading is above 2.0 mIU/L, you are at risk of progression to hypothyroidism. Common symptoms include weight gain, fatigue, depression and brittle nails and hair.
Both T4 and TSH tests are performed routinely in newborn babies in a low-functioning thyroid gland. If left untreated, it can lead to developmental disabilities.
