What is a Thyroid Test?
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland placed in the front part of the neck, and it produces the thyroid hormones. These hormones traverse the bloodstream, regulating several aspects of the body’s metabolism affecting temperature, weight, and energy. When physicians observe abnormalities in these or related parameters, they advise testing the thyroid gland’s functioning by measuring the quantum of thyroid hormones in the blood.
Thyroid function tests require blood samples; the pathologist draws the blood from the vein in the arm. The thyroid function tests reveal whether the thyroid is normal, overactive (hyperthyroidism), or underactive (hypothyroidism).