Table of Content
- Are at-home thyroid tests reliable?
- How do you get a thyroid test without a doctor?
- How long does it take to get thyroid blood test results?
- Home test for underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- Best for home and lab testing: Health Testing Centers
- Best for detailed results: ZRT Laboratory
- Collect your sample
In general, however, at-home test kits are not a reliable substitute for visiting your primary healthcare professional. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, consider getting your thyroid levels checked. If left untreated, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can cause health concerns. Testing your thyroid levels at home is convenient and accurate when done correctly, and with the range of home test kits to choose from, you may find one that you like. The main hormones it produces are thyroxine and triiodothyronine , which control how your cells use energy. Your thyroid gland regulates your metabolism through the release of these hormones.
Either too much or too little TSH can indicate problems with the thyroid, such as hyper or hypothyroidism. Your test result will clearly indicate how your thyroid is working by investigating FT3, FT4, and TSH levels. Homed-IQ’s Home Thyroid Test is a convenient way to determine whether you may have a thyroid condition and will give you an indication of whether follow-up care is needed with your GP.
Are at-home thyroid tests reliable?
Hypothyroidism is treated with daily use of synthetic thyroid hormones, which restores adequate hormone levels and reverses symptoms. If the test is suitable for the person, the doctor approves it, and the company sends a test kit to them. The person then follows the instructions in the kit to collect the necessary samples and sends them through the mail to undergo testing in a laboratory. It is essential to discuss any positive result with a healthcare professional, and if necessary, develop a treatment plan. MyLAB Box offers a thyroid health screening test for males and females. It comes with free shipping but is not available to New York residents.
It may also be a useful tool for monitoring your response to changes in your thyroid medication, if going to a lab center for a blood draw is not accessible. However, any adjustments in medication should only be done under the supervision of your health provider. At-home thyroid test kits measure your thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and look for certain antibodies that can affect your thyroid function. But the exact tests vary depending on the company and kit you choose. While results are read by healthcare professionals, for a separate fee, they can provide information about your results, as well as a treatment plan. A combination of high TSH and low FT4 can indicate an underactive thyroid , while a low TSH combined with a high FT4 can be a sign of hyperthyroidism.
How do you get a thyroid test without a doctor?
A blood test showing a high level of TSH and low T4 may be an indicator that a person has hypothyroidism. The presence of these can indicate the autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. If a person orders an at-home test, shipping can take 5–7 days. Alternately, a person can give their sample at a LabCorp or Quest Diagnostics lab without making an appointment. The company says that the results are available within 24–72 hours.
All blood tests sold by Homed-IQ are just as effective as the tests you’d do in-person at your physician, medical clinic, laboratory or hospital. This means they have been scientifically validated to perform as well as an in-office test. All our at-home test kits come complete with everything you need to collect your sample, including a comprehensive step-by-step guide to ensure your sample is collected correctly. Our ThyroScreen test kit has been designed for use at home and comes with clear, step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow.
How long does it take to get thyroid blood test results?
Free T3 is T3 that is not bound to protein and immediately available for use by the body. FT3 regulates the body’s metabolic rate, including the rate at which calories are burned, body temperature, the speed at which food moves through the digestive tract, and heart rate. T3 is also produced in other body tissues through the conversion of FT4 to FT3. Our Thyroid Function home blood test kit checks the two key Thyroid Function hormones to confirm normal thyroid function and indicate an overactive or underactive thyroid. Thyroid tests can show whether a person has levels of thyroid hormones or antibodies that suggest a health problem.
If you have symptoms of hypothyroidism but have a normal TSH, you can check your T4 levels to be sure. If either the pituitary gland or thyroid gland is damaged, the levels of thyroid hormones in the blood can be affected. This can cause symptoms to develop, which may indicate an underactive or overactive thyroid.
A home thyroid test kit allows you to test for the underactive thyroid hormone by using just a finger prick of human blood. Your doctor may be able to make a diagnosis from your history, symptoms and an examination, though a blood test should be carried out to confirm the diagnosis. The blood tests will check the levels of TSH , T3 and T4 in the blood. If the blood tests show levels of TSH are raised then the thyroid gland is under-active, this is because TSH levels rise to try to manufacture more T3 and T4.
This thyroid test identifies raised levels of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone , which controls the amount of the hormone thyroxine produced by the thyroid gland. A raised TSH level therefore indicates an underactive thyroid and is regarded as the most important and sensitive test for hypothyroidism. Thyroid stimulating hormone, also known as TSH, is secreted from the pituitary gland and regulates the function of the thyroid.
You may need further tests that measure levels such as T3, T7, TSI, and antibodies. Find out what types of recommendations for additional testing or treatment plans each company offers. The thyroid becomes too active and makes too much of the thyroid hormones.
A negative test result indicates that it is very unlikely that you have an under active thyroid gland. However, as no test is 100% effective we would recommend that you consult your doctor if you have worrying symptoms. An underactive thyroid is 10 times more common in women than in men, and up to 2% of the UK adult population suffers from the condition.
TSH controls thyroid function in its production of active thyroid hormones, T3 and T4. Together, T3 and T4 control the rate at which your body uses energy. By measuring your levels of each, you can understand if you may be experiencing thyroid dysfunction, such as hypo- or hyper-thyroidism. The signs and symptoms of an underactive thyroid usually develop over a long period of time and depend on the amount of thyroid hormones produced. Symptoms can also vary from person to person depending on their overall health. A thyroid test helps determine the health of your thyroid gland if you are already experiencing some of the common symptoms.
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