In the human body, the thyroid gland accumulates iodine and produces hormones containing it. It also synthesizes calcitonite, which compensates for the wear of bones, accelerates the growth of their tissue and prevents its destruction. The gland is located in the neck under the larynx in front of the trachea on the surface of the thyroid cartilage. It is shaped like a butterfly. If the functions of the gland are impaired, diseases can occur. You can diagnose them in time and take action only by knowing which hormones to pass on the thyroid gland through analysis.
Who needs a hormone test
Since thyroid hormones regulate vital processes, take part in mental activity and the functioning of the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, all people, regardless of gender and age, need to control their condition. However, it is especially important to know which hormones are given to the thyroid gland for women, since it is possible to get pregnant, bear normally and give birth to a he althy child only with a normal level of these biologically active hormones.substances.
Hormones are needed by the baby during fetal development. With their help, the nervous system is formed, the work of the brain is carried out. Intrauterine processes will subsequently have a great impact on the intellect of an already born and maturing baby.
The thyroid gland of the fetus begins to form already at 4-5 weeks, but it will be able to perform its functions only at 12 weeks. Therefore, it is very important to know which thyroid hormones to test for during pregnancy.
The normal production of biologically active substances by the thyroid gland is no less important for the body of a born and grown child. Fat and carbohydrate metabolism depend on this, in case of failures in which unhe althy weight loss and muscle weakening occur. For children, the normal functioning of the brain, nervous and circulatory systems is especially important, since failures in them lead to irreversible consequences. Therefore, parents definitely need to know which tests for which thyroid hormones to pass to the child.
What are the signs of thyroid dysfunction
It is important not only to theoretically know which hormones to pass on the thyroid gland, but also to be able to recognize the signs in which tests should be done immediately. Specific symptoms of gland dysfunction, such as a goiter or bulging eyeballs, are hard to miss and people usually see a doctor right away.
But some signs are less pronounced, you can ignore them for a long time, and thereby expose your he alth to serious danger. To suchinclude:
- cardiac arrhythmia accompanied by shortness of breath;
- weakness and drowsiness;
- frequent manifestation of respiratory diseases;
- menstrual irregularity;
- painful thinness;
- hair loss;
- pain in muscles and joints;
- excessive sweating;
- reduced ability to concentrate on anything;
- emotional instability;
- reproductive disorders.
Of course, any of these symptoms may indicate pathologies that are not related to abnormalities in the endocrine system. Nevertheless, it is worth considering which hormones you need to pass in order to check the thyroid gland, since it is better to immediately make sure that everything is in order with the gland and look for the true causes that cause unpleasant symptoms.
How to prepare for analysis
If a decision is made to check the functioning of the endocrine system, you need to decide which tests to take for thyroid hormones. Everything is simple here, for research, blood is taken from the cubital vein. On what day to take thyroid hormones, the doctor prescribes. But in order for the results to be as accurate as possible, you need to properly prepare for the analysis, and it is better to start a week before the appointed date.
When preparing, you need to stop taking medications, exclude alcohol from drinking, try to smoke less. A few days before the analysis, you can not undergo physiotherapy procedures and performvigorous exercise. Stressful situations should be avoided whenever possible. Pleasant excitement at this time, unfortunately, is also contraindicated.
Then you need to give up harmful foods: fast food, caffeinated and sweet carbonated drinks, confectionery, as well as fried, pickled, fatty, s alty and spicy foods. Instead, eat light, natural foods.
On the very day of the study, from the morning until the very moment the material is handed over, you can not eat, smoke or even brush your teeth. You can only drink some pure drinking water.
You need to donate blood in the morning. It is best at 7:30-8:00, since it is at this time that hormones are most active, but you can do it a little later, the main thing is to be in time before 10-11 in the morning. During blood sampling, the patient must be calm, his pulse and pressure must be normal.
It must be remembered that during the delivery of the material the body should be as he althy as possible. Inflammatory and infectious processes occurring in it, including a cold or a slight runny nose, can distort the correct picture.
What concentrations of hormones and antibodies are considered normal
What thyroid hormones donate blood for, you can ask your doctor. Usually, among them are the thyroid hormones secreted by the microscopic tissue of the gland - triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). They share physiological properties as both are derivatives of the amino acid tyrosine. Only in a moleculetriiodothyronine contains 3 iodine atoms, while thyroxine has 4. Hormones are found in the blood serum. Their free forms are active, while those bound to proteins are not.
In addition to the class of iodothyronines that regulate the state of metabolism, the thyroid gland produces the polypeptide hormone calcitonin. It affects phosphorus-calcium metabolism and, among others, is involved in the growth and development of the bone apparatus.
But not only the listed substances need to be identified in the blood in order to fully check the thyroid gland. Which hormones to test for complete control of the state of the gland are listed in the following list:
- Thyrotropin. This biologically active substance is secreted by the pituitary gland, however, the formation and secretion of thyroxine and triiodothyronine depends on this hormone. Therefore, if thyrotropin is secreted less than 0.4 milliunits per liter of blood, thyroid hormones become too much, and if its concentration becomes higher than 4.0 milliunits per liter, on the contrary, not enough is secreted.
- Triiodothyronine. Of course, for a complete study, one cannot do without indicators of the concentration of a hormone secreted directly by the thyroid gland and stimulating the exchange and absorption of oxygen by tissues. If the thyroid gland normally performs its functions, free triiodothyronine will be from 2.6 to 5.7 pmol per liter of blood.
- Thyroxine. The concentration of the free form of the second thyroid hormone, which stimulates protein synthesis, should vary from 9 to 22 pmolper litre.
- Antibodies to thyroglobulin. To obtain a complete picture of the state of the endocrine gland, it is necessary to find out not only the concentrations of various hormones, but also to determine the amount of antibodies to the precursor protein of triiodothyronine and thyroxine. This is an important parameter that allows you to identify the presence of gland diseases that have an autoimmune nature. Usually they are not, if the amount of antibodies does not exceed 18 units per milliliter.
- Antibodies to thyroid peroxidase. A more sensitive method is the determination of autoantibodies to the enzyme of endocrine gland cells. Normally, their number should not exceed 5, 6 units per milliliter.
All of the listed substances are those antibodies and hormones that are given to the thyroid gland. There are no differences for women, men and children in this regard.
Diseases associated with a lack or excess of hormones
Which hormones to pass on the thyroid gland depends on what her disease is suspected. For example, an increased content of thyroxine leads to poisoning of the body - hyperthyroidism, the extreme degree of which leads to Graves' disease, a dangerous occurrence of complications, in particular, heart failure.
But the lack of thyroxin leads to sad consequences. Its deficiency threatens with hypothyroidism, which at an early age flows into cretinism, characterized by a delay in physical and mental development, and in adulthood into myxedema. The latter means mucous edema resulting from a violation of protein metabolism and the accumulation of tissue fluid.
Hyperthyroidism treatment
What do you needtime to take tests for thyroid hormones? Of course, in order to diagnose possible diseases in the early stages, cure them and prevent the development of complications. Detected hyperthyroidism is treated with thyreostatic drugs, for example, Thiamazole, as well as following a special diet. Proper nutrition with an excess of hormones implies the use of a sufficient amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates with food, as well as providing the body with vitamins from fruits and vegetables and mineral s alts from milk and lactic acid products. At the same time, chocolate, spices, coffee, strong tea and other dishes and drinks that excite the central nervous and cardiovascular system are excluded from the diet or at least limited.
Hypothyroidism treatment
If a deficiency of thyroid hormones is diagnosed, therapy with their synthetic analogues is carried out. Thyreoidin, Tireotom, Thyreocomb can be used as medicines. Individual selection of doses is carried out based on the fact that an adult needs 1.4-1.7 mcg of thyroxine per 1 kg of body weight per day, and up to 4 mcg per 1 kg of body weight for children. Sometimes this dose is almost doubled.
Usually the first 2, 5-3 weeks the patient takes no more than 25 mcg of the drug per day. Then this amount increases to 50 mcg, after another 2-3 weeks to 75 mcg, and so on until the dose selected by the doctor is reached. All this time, the control of clinical symptoms is carried out, every 1, 5-2months, the content of hormones in the blood is determined. It is especially important to follow this regimen for the elderly.
Other thyroid disorders
There are other diseases of the thyroid gland, at first glance, not related to the regulation of hormones. For example, autoimmune thyroiditis, which is a chronic inflammation of the endocrine gland. The mechanism of the disease has not been fully elucidated, but its cause lies in a genetic defect in immunity, as a result of which antibodies take the cells of the endocrine gland as foreign and attack them, making destructive changes in the tissues.
As a result of this process, the inhibition of the function of the gland is inevitable, due to which it produces too few biologically active substances, and sometimes, on the contrary, their excess is temporarily formed. Therefore, it is better to know which hormones should be donated to the thyroid gland, even with seemingly unrelated pathologies.
Another disease, relatively unrelated to hormones, is called an adenoma of the thyroid gland. It is a benign tumor and may not be accompanied by a change in the production of biologically active substances. But toxic adenoma is characterized by their excessive secretion, so in this case you will also need to know which thyroid hormones to test for.
If a malignant tumor forms on the endocrine gland, cancer is diagnosed. In this case, ultrasound methods are used to confirm the presence of a node, and in the study of blood, the main attention is paid to the presence of tumor markers. However, knowing which thyroid hormones you need to passanalysis will still come in handy, because in case of changes in the production of thyroid-stimulating hormone, it will be possible to count on the fact that the tumor is benign, and the measurement of thyrocalcitonin will show whether the cancer is medullary.
Treatment of autoimmune thyroiditis
Inflammatory disease of the endocrine gland is treated with a combination of thyroid drugs with glucocorticoids, such as Prednisolone. Such drugs are not always used, but only in cases where subacute thyroiditis additionally occurs. Unlike thyroid drugs, they are first taken in a large daily dose (about 40 mg), and then it is gradually reduced. Additionally, selenium preparations may be prescribed. Taking them for 3 months can significantly reduce the level of autoantibodies to peroxidase, which will positively affect well-being.
If the disease progresses rapidly, the thyroid gland enlarges so much that it compresses the trachea or neck vessels, resort to surgical intervention.
Thyroid cancer
The main method of treating thyroid cancer is its partial or complete removal. The most sparing intervention is the excision of one lobe of the gland, but this is only possible with the diagnosis of cancer at the earliest stages. More often it is necessary to remove almost the entire tissue, and in the advanced form of the disease, completely remove the thyroid gland. In the latter case, a person will be forced to artificially normalize the hormonal background with the help of replacement therapy until the end of his life.
Finally decide how much surgery the patient needs, the doctor can only after a complete examination, diagnosis of the form and stage of cancer, as well as the presence of metastases.
Another widely used method in oncology is irradiation, but it is ineffective in thyroid cancer. Instead, radioiodine therapy is usually used, which consists in taking capsules or a solution of radioactive iodine. It accumulates in metastases and destroys them. The method provides good results and improves the patient's prognosis if the tumor is not radioiodine resistant.
Conclusion
So, which hormones to pass on the thyroid gland, largely depends on the suspected disease. Basically always check triiodothyronine and thyroxine. It will not be superfluous to find out the content of thyrotropin secreted by the pituitary gland and stimulating the activation of thyroid hormones. Calcitonitis is a tumor marker, and its determination is important for the early diagnosis of medullary cancer.
