What are the T3 T4 Tsh Tests? Know Everything

Introduction 

Raj is a mid-aged working professional. He works professionally for around 10 hours a day. He also does household work and takes care of his kids as a single parent. He is a very hardworking and dedicated employee. He is also an amazing dad and hero to his kids. He neither misses a deadline nor a meeting. In between his professional and personal life, he barely gets time for himself. In the past month, he has rapidly reduced weight. Everyone, including himself, thought that he lost so much weight because of the heavy workload. But someone suggested that he should take t3 t4 tsh tests, just to be sure. To his surprise, he had the thyroid. Though he had heard of it, he did not know what exactly it was.

The thyroid is a prevalent disease. Many individuals, after a certain age, get thyroid disease. If you don’t know what t3 t4 tsh tests are or don,t know what thyroid disease is, keep reading this blog to know everything.

What is the thyroid?

The thyroid gland is butterfly-shaped in your neck. It is a crucial gland to maintain hormonal balances in the body.  It is one of the endocrine glands. The thyroid gland is essential in controlling the rate of the activities in your body. One of the main functions of the hormones of the thyroid gland is to control metabolic activities. These include how fast or slow you burn calories and how fast or slow your heartbeats. The thyroid gland is responsible for your body’s metabolism.

When your thyroid gland secretes too much or too little hormones, it creates a hormonal imbalance in the body. This hormonal imbalance can lead to rapid loss or gain of weight, weak bones, sleeplessness or insomnia, or even conditions like goiter. This is called thyroid disease. To detect this, one has to take t3 t4 tsh tests.

What is thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)?

The thyroid-stimulating hormones or TSH are also known as thyrotropin, and the pituitary gland secretes thyrotrophin. One can look at it like the master of other hormones, T3 and T4. It regulates the secretion and control of T3 and T4. An increase in the levels of TSH means that your thyroid gland is secreting less T3 and T4. A decrease in the ranks of TSH means that your thyroid gland makes more T3 and T4 hormones. The primary function of TSH is to regulate the thyroid gland, and if the gland isn’t functioning, then there will be too much TSH in the bloodstream. 

It is critically important for pregnant women to make sure their hormones are balanced, as TSH plays a role in the development of the fetus.

TSH is the first test in t3 t4 tsh tests.

What are thyroid hormones T3 and T4?

TSH helps in the release of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4. Without TSH, the system would fail.

T4 or thyroxine is in charge of metabolism, mood, and body temperature. T3 or triiodothyronine is another thyroid hormone. This hormone is the centre of the digestive system and looks out the metabolic function. It also oversees bone health. 

If these hormones are abundantly present in you, you might experience anxiety, hair loss, sweating, tremors and shaking, skipped periods, irritation, and hyperactivity. 

If these hormones are scarcely present in you, you might experience weight gain, memory issues, dry skin, constipation, fatigue, and lethargy. 

If these thyroid hormones are low in your bloodstream, the pituitary gland will release more TSH. If too high, then the gland will release less TSH. All this system is functional only when the thyroid gland is healthy.

In t3 t4 tsh tests, these thyroid hormones are checked if TSH is abnormal in the body.

What are t3 t4 tsh tests?

The t3 t4 tsh tests include the following blood tests:

• Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) – TSH is produced in the pituitary gland. It helps regulate the balance between the thyroid hormones in the bloodstream, which includes the T4 and T3 hormones. When these hormones are synthesised and secreted in proportion, the thyroid gland functions normally. TSH blood test is the first test that is done. High levels of TSH are associated with hypothyroidism, and low levels of TSH are associated with hyperthyroidism. If TSH is abnormal, then thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) are done. The average level of TSH is 0.40-4.50 mIU/ml.
• Thyroxine (T4) – T4 test is done to monitor treatments for thyroid diseases. High levels of T4 are associated with hyperthyroidism, and low levels of T4 are associated with hypothyroidism. The average level of T4 is 5.0-11.0 ug/dL.
• Triiodothyronine (T3) – T3 test is done to diagnose or monitor treatments for thyroid diseases. High levels of T3 are associated with hyperthyroidism, and low levels of T3 are associated with hypothyroidism. The average level of T3 is 100-200 ng/dL.

Conclusion

t3 t4 tsh tests are done to check the thyroid disease level in your body. Thyroid hormones are crucial to be present in a balanced form in the body as they overlook all the metabolic and some of the digestive activities in the body. It is necessary to do t3 t4 tsh tests twice a year to prevent or early diagnose thyroid disease in the body.