Thyroid Blood Test Results

A basic thyroid blood test measures levels of TSH, free T4, and free T3. While your doctor can use these results to assess your thyroid health, other factors can also affect your lab test results. Here are seven things that can affect your thyroid blood test results.

Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormone, and iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. Iodine can be found in many foods, including seafood, dairy products, eggs, and some plants.

Iodine deficiency can also be caused by certain medications, such as lithium and amiodarone. If you are taking any of these medications, talk to your doctor about whether you need to supplement with iodine.

2) Stress

Stress can have a significant impact on your thyroid blood test results. When you're stressed, your body produces the hormone cortisol. Cortisol can interfere with thyroid hormone production, leading to an inaccurate blood test result. If you're scheduled to have a thyroid blood test, try to avoid stress as much as possible in the days following the test.

3) Medications

Various medications can affect the results of your thyroid blood test. These include but are not limited to lithium, amiodarone, interferon alpha, and interleukin-2. If you are taking any of these medications, please let your doctor know so they can consider them when interpreting your results.

4) Myths about the gluten and dairy-free diet

There are a lot of myths surrounding the gluten and dairy-free diet. The most common one is that it's expensive. While it's true that some gluten and dairy-free products can be more expensive than their counterparts, there are plenty of ways to save money on this type of diet. For example, you can buy bulk or make your meals from scratch.

5) Having too much protein or too little protein in your diet

Consuming too much or too little protein can result in an abnormal thyroid blood test. If you are scheduled to have a thyroid blood test, be sure to ask your doctor about the recommended amount of protein for you to consume in the days following your test. Chughtai lab test rates for online lab tests in Pakistan are very reasonable. You can book online lab tests and get results back quickly and easily.

6) If you have diabetes take insulin

1. Check your fasting blood sugar levels before taking the stimulating thyroid hormone (TSH) test, as insulin can affect the results.

2. If you are on medication for hypothyroidism, make sure to inform your doctor, as this can also skew the results of the TSH test.

3. Be sure to follow all instructions given to you by your doctor or the laboratory regarding fasting and taking the TSH test, as not doing so can give inaccurate results.

4. If you have had a recent iodine exposure, such as from a CT scan or contrast dye used during an MRI, this can also affect the results of your TSH test.

One of the things that can most affect your thyroid blood test results is extreme dieting. This is because your body goes into starvation when you severely restrict your calorie intake. In starvation mode, your body starts to break down muscle for energy, which releases a hormone called T3. T3 then suppresses your thyroid function, which can lead to an inaccurate blood test result.