11/03/2022
When reading this, you may think “I’ve never had an issue or known anyone that’s had a thyroid health problem”. Well in January this year, the Hippocratic Post reported that 1 in 20 people in the UK have a thyroid disorder that’s either temporary or permanent, however a debatably bigger issue is that this statistic would be much higher if many individuals in the UK knew they had a thyroid problem. We can experience generic symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain or dry skin but not actually know for sure what the condition is causing it. This an issue especially prevalent in women as the NHS report that this is 10 times more common in women than men, aged between 20 and 40 years of age. Because of this, we’re providing a rationale on why a Thyroid health test.
What is our Thyroid Gland and how does it affect my overall health?
Your thyroid is a gland in the front of our neck just below our Adam’s Apple and secretes three hormones:
- Thyroxine (T4)
- Triiodothyronine (T3)
- Calcitonin
T4 in our skin cells and tissues is converted into T3. The combined T3 that is secreted from our Thyroid and from T4 sources influences the activity of all the cells and tissues in our body as well as how fast our body cells work. This is the key process that can cause an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) or an underactive thyroid (Hypothyroidism)
Hyperthyroidism (Overactive Thyroid)
The British Thyroid Foundation describe Hyperthyroidism as a condition where thyroid glands produce more thyroid hormones than necessary by the body. If due to excessive secretion of hormones from your thyroid, your heart rate can quicken or and intestine activity can increase leading to diarrhoea. Other symptoms of this include:
- Weight Loss
- Heat Intolerance
- Anxiety
- Mood Swings
- Sore, gritty eye
Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid)
The more popular of the two conditions, underactive thyroid occurs when too little of the thyroid hormones are produced and as such our cells and organs slow down causing potential harm to our overall health. Thyroid UK have listed these as the most common symptoms:
- Tiredness
- Feeling Cold
- Weight gain
- Poor concentration
- Depression
Why Invest in a Thyroid Health Test?
A single blood test can assess the exact secretory state of your Thyroid by measuring the level of hormones in your body. But where exactly do you get a test like this done? There’s two ways:
- Visit any of our health clinics throughout the UK at a time and date that best suits you.
- Order our at-home Thyroid Health Test to take the test yourself in the comfort of your own home.
Randox Health has a priority in preventing illness now, rather than have it be treated later through overall health and wellbeing testing, detect signs of Thyroid health issues before symptoms even develop with results in just 2 working days.
5 key markers are tested:
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
- Free T4,
- Free T3,
- Anti-TG,
- Anti-TPO