Thyroid Blood Tests UK You Must Take NOW

Why is the thyroid important?

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped organ found in your neck. It helps with your body's metabolism. Too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) can lead to weight loss and anxiety, making you feel very hot and fidgety. 

On the other hand, having too little thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) slows you down, causing you to feel tired and cold. You'll also experience weight gain.

Women are more at risk of having a thyroid condition than men because most thyroid-related problems are due to an autoimmune disorder.   

Why buy a private thyroid blood test?

Many thyroid tests are out there, making it easier for people to buy and check their thyroid hormone levels from the comfort of their homes. But why buy a private thyroid blood test in the first place? To start, the thyroid blood tests of UK GPs have been minimal. Most of them only examine the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4). 

Meanwhile, private blood tests offer more. Many assess various thyroid hormones, antibodies, and nutrients affecting thyroid health and function. Further, they are more convenient as you can take your blood sample home and get the results faster.

What are the different types of thyroid blood tests?

Thyroid blood tests UK have three different types. They are:

1. Thyroid Profiles and Thyroid Function Tests

Many thyroid tests can be bought as thyroid profiles, which are curated test panels specifically designed to give you the most current condition of thyroid function. These tests can help identify the reasons for your overactive or underactive thyroid. 

They'll check your levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (T4), and triiodothyronine (T3). Some also test your thyroid antibodies. 

2. Thyroid Profiles with General Health and Nutrition

Some tests investigate symptoms of an underactive thyroid and those of other health conditions like nutrient deficiency, hormonal imbalance, and anaemia. These advanced tests use health and nutritional biomarkers like vitamins B and D and ferritin.

3. Single Biomarker Thyroid Tests

These tests are used to test individual thyroid hormones and antibodies and often complement each other. For example, your GP will test your thyroid hormones, but you may also have your antibodies tested separately. It's commonly used to determine if an autoimmune condition causes a thyroid-related health problem. 

However, many doctors don't recommend testing your thyroid hormones individually, as results can be limited.

How do I choose the right thyroid blood test for me?

Taking thyroid blood tests UK is the best way to check for a thyroid disorder. Vitall offers easy and accurate tests to investigate whether a thyroid problem causes your symptoms. 

Thyroid Function Home Test Kit

One of the UK's most recommended thyroid blood tests is the Thyroid Function Home Test Kit by Vitall. It's a hormonal control test that can effectively assess your thyroid function and detect abnormal thyroid activity. 

It includes a finger-prick blood home test kit which you can use to take your blood sample at home. Other options include a clinic and home nurse visit. Once you have your sample, you can send it to Vitall, where professionals will analyze it using an accredited laboratory. You'll get the results within 24 hours.

This test is famous because it tests two essential thyroid hormones, free thyroxine, and TSH. Free thyroxine speeds up metabolism, while TSH regulates thyroxine production.

Thyroid Function & Autoimmune Reaction Home Test Kit

You can choose from many thyroid blood tests UK, and this test kit from Vitall is one of them. It investigates your thyroid function and any abnormal thyroid immune activity. 

The test allows you to collect your blood sample through a simple finger-prick blood home test kit. If you prefer to avoid taking the sample, you can opt for a home nurse visit or drop by their clinic. Your sample will be analysed in an accredited laboratory, and you'll get the results within 24 hours.

Initially, it will first test your free thyroxine and TSH. Thyroid disorders are hard to diagnose and often result from an autoimmune disease. That's why this test includes six other accredited laboratory tests. 

Thyroid Function Test

Assess thyroid function and indicate abnormal thyroid activity.

£59.00

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Thyroid Function & Autoimmune Reaction Test

Assess thyroid function and indicate abnormal thyroid immune activity.

£89.00

Add to Cart ›

Factors affecting thyroid test results

Several factors can affect the results of thyroid blood tests in the UK, including the tests used to measure your triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone. 

Sometimes, you'll experience fluctuations in your thyroid hormone levels caused by changes in your medicine dosage or when you took the test. Longer-term factors like pregnancy and lifestyle can contribute to these changes, too.

Read on to learn more about these common factors that can affect your thyroid blood tests UK results:

1. Fasting 

Fasting and the time of day you take the test impact your results. For instance, if you test in the morning after fasting overnight, you'll have higher TSH levels. However, if you take it in the afternoon without fasting, your results will show a TSH level that's lower than one.

2. Stress 

Mental and overall stress also contribute to your test results. Avoid false fluctuations in your thyroid test results by taking the test under the same conditions every time, especially if you take thyroid hormone replacement. 

3. Body Weight

Your weight and body mass affect thyroid function and your thyroid test results. Once the body releases leptin, your TSH and thyroid hormone levels also increase. Generally, individuals with an overactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism have lower body weights, while those with lower thyroid function gain weight.

4. Body Mass Index

Your body mass index can also affect your thyroid function, so many researchers are also looking into tests that include waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and body shape index (ABSI). 

5. Smoking

Lifestyle habits like smoking are another factor. People who smoke have higher free triiodothyronine (free T3) levels and lower TSH levels. Their test results also show that their TSH level increases while their T4 level decreases.

6. Alcohol Use

People who drink alcohol have lower free T4 levels. Further, those with alcohol withdrawal have lower free T3 and free T4 levels. Though the reasons are unclear on how alcohol affects thyroid levels, evidence suggests that alcohol acts on other organs or glands that produce hormones, like the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. 

Moreover, alcohol contains elements that affect the thyroid, such as resveratrol polyphenols in red wine. 

7. Diet and Thyroid Test Results

One of the common causes of hypothyroidism is iodine deficiency. Other foods that can affect your thyroid hormone levels are olive oil, tea, coffee, broccoli, brassica vegetables, and soy-based foods. 

Diets high in processed foods can also affect thyroid hormone and TSH levels. 

8. Iodine 

Your doctor may advise you to avoid foods high in iodine a week before taking the test, especially if you're doing a thyroid scan test. Iodine can influence your test results because the scan uses a small amount of radioactive iodine.

9. Medication Use 

If you take medications for other conditions, your thyroid blood tests UK will be affected. They can alter your thyroid hormone levels and TSH as your body tries to compensate for the increasing or declining thyroid hormones. These medications include lithobid (lithium), iodine or kelp supplements, pacerone (amiodarone), immunomodulating drugs, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and certain chemotherapy drugs.

10. Birth Control

Oestrogens found in birth control pills cause T3 and T4 to increase. Include a TSH and free T4 test with your thyroid test.

11. Illness 

Certain illnesses can affect your thyroid blood tests UK results. For example, diarrhoea prevents you from absorbing medication and may change your lab results. Inflammatory conditions like lupus have the same effect. 

12. Toxic Exposure

Environmental exposures to heavy metals and some toxins can also interfere with thyroid hormone levels and test results. These include arsenic, mercury, pesticides, lead, and perfluoroalkyl substances. They also affect how thyroid hormones are produced and used by the body. 

How to take your thyroid medication

Your thyroid blood tests UK results can help identify thyroid problems earlier on. Once your doctor has recommended the proper medication for your condition, you must know how to take your thyroid medication properly. How you take them plays a crucial role in how your body absorbs them while limiting the risks of side effects.

Please note that thyroid medications have specific instructions for taking them. For instance, there are those you can take with or without food and those that may interact with other medicines you're taking. The time of the day to take them must be followed strictly, too.

So how do you handle your prescription? Whether it's your first time taking your thyroid medications or not, always check you're getting the correct medication, dosage, and number of pills. Also, check the expiration date.

Medications have different brands and generics which may contain the same active drug ingredients. However, their other components may vary, and they can affect absorption. Further, store your meds correctly. Avoid exposing them to heat or moisture.

Here are other tips to remember:

• Take your medicine at the same time each day.
• Avoid consuming calcium three hours after taking your meds.
• Consume goitrogenic foods moderately.
• Consult your doctor immediately if your condition worsens. 

Thyroid levels during pregnancy

Pregnancy significantly affects thyroid hormone levels. The normal ranges change while you're pregnant and vary slightly depending on where you got your thyroid blood tests UK. According to the British Thyroid Foundation, you must speak to your doctor immediately if you're pregnant and have a history of thyroid conditions such as:

• subclinical hypothyroidism
• thyroiditis
• radioactive iodine treatment
• thyroidectomy
• goitre
• positive thyroid antibodies

How often should I take a thyroid blood test?

How often you take thyroid blood tests UK varies and depends on your symptoms and diagnosis. 

Always take the same test at the same time each day when monitoring your thyroid function, preferably in the morning before taking your thyroid medication. Record your test results so it'll be easier for you to observe.

Meanwhile, here's a guide on how often you should take the test:

• Normal results with no symptoms – there's no need to repeat the test for now. However, repeat the test once you start developing thyroid-related symptoms.
• Borderline results with no symptoms – in this case, your TSH level is higher than the normal range but lower than the level a doctor will treat. If your thyroid hormones are normal and you don't have any symptoms, you can take thyroid blood tests in the UK annually. A high TSH level increases your risk of developing an underactive thyroid, so retake the test if you have symptoms. 
• Borderline results with symptoms – if your TSH is borderline and your thyroid hormones are normal, but you have symptoms, you can take the test every three months. Also, have your thyroid antibodies tested to check your risk of developing an underactive thyroid. Talk to your doctor once you have your results.
• Known hypothyroidism with managed symptoms – take the test annually or as your doctor recommends.
• Known hypothyroidism with symptoms – if you have an underactive thyroid and have taken replacement hormones, but symptoms persist, you need to repeat a thyroid function test and see your doctor.
• Known hypothyroidism with changes in medication dosage – it takes a while to get the correct dose of thyroid replacement correctly once you've been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. Symptoms may reappear after taking medication, meaning changes will be made to your dosage. 

Too much thyroid replacement hormone can speed up metabolism and lead to anxiety, heat sensitivity, and weight loss. On the other hand, too little of it can cause you to gain weight, feel weak, and be sensitive to cold. In such cases, you must retake a thyroid function test at least eight to 12 weeks after your doctor adjusted your dose.

Take thyroid blood tests UK to ensure thyroid function. These tests are simple and accurate; taking them is your first line of defence against thyroid-related health problems.