What are thyroid tests?

Thyroid tests check to see if your thyroid gland works like it should. Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck that sits just above your sternum (breastbone). It produces hormones that control several different body systems. It’s like a command center that manages how your body uses energy.

You might need a thyroid test if you have symptoms like fatigue, sluggishness, restlessness, irritability or unexplained weight changes. Thyroid tests can help diagnose thyroid diseases like:

• Hypothyroidism.
• Hyperthyroidism.
• Thyroiditis.
• Graves’ disease.
• Hashimoto’s disease.

Other names for thyroid tests include thyroid function tests and thyroid symptom tests.

Types of thyroid tests

There are several different types of thyroid tests, but they all fall under one of two categories:

• Thyroid blood tests check for hormones and proteins like antibodies and thyroglobulin. These tests can tell you if you have conditions like hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) or hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). There are several types of thyroid blood tests, including TSH, T3 and T4, and thyroid antibodies.
• Thyroid imaging tests help your provider find nodules (lumps) in your neck and determine whether they’re benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Nuclear medicine imaging like thyroid uptake and scan tests fall under this category. (These tests involve injecting or swallowing a small amount of contrast material.)