If you are pregnant with your first baby, you may be wondering when to test your thyroid. Many women wonder the same thing. During pregnancy, it’s important to know what your thyroid is doing so that you can be sure you’re healthy and not having problems. While your thyroid is working fine, the thyroid is also producing the hormone thyroxine. This hormone is necessary for normal metabolism.
Some women wonder when to test for thyroid function tests as well. Thyroid diseases often progress during the course of the disease, so it’s important to know when your thyroid function has been affected. The most common reason for this is the ingestion of medications. Other common reasons include:
– Hypothyroidism – When you stop taking prescribed medications your thyroid hormone binding proteins will begin to decrease in amount. This is the beginning of hypothyroidism. – Impaired Metabolism – In people with impaired metabolisms, thyroid hormones will not pass through the blood stream in the same way that they would if their metabolisms were normal. Some medications can cause abnormal thyroid hormone binding proteins to become less dense. – Pregnancy – During pregnancy, your hormones will change dramatically. You will most likely exhibit some of the symptoms of pregnancy like fatigue, weight gain, depression, etc.
Many tests are done to check your thyroid disease during pregnancy. Your doctor will probably want to test your free and total testosterone, thyroid stimulating hormone, and the sensitivity of your thyroid to estrogen. These tests will allow your doctor to make the correct diagnosis and begin treatment. In rare cases, a baby may be born with congenital hypothyroidism.
After a test has been performed and the results have been analyzed you will be treated for your hypothyroidism. If you are diagnosed with hyperthyroidism then you may need surgery to remove one or more of your thyroid nodules. Depending on the size of your problem, surgery may be one of the treatments for your hyperthyroidism. Medications are also prescribed to help you reduce the symptoms of your hyperthyroidism. Once you have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, you should start changing your diet and performing daily exercises.
Taking medication daily and performing the necessary exercise will help your symptoms. Be careful to watch your weight and watch your cholesterol levels because these factors may contribute to developing breast cancer. Women who have hyperthyroidism should avoid taking thyroxine treatment during their first trimester of pregnancy. Women who were treated with levothyroxine treatment and who had not had a history of breast cancer before they became pregnant should use caution and get regular mammograms.
Your body will go through a period of stress as you are pregnant and your body will make an adjustment. You may find that your body does not work like it normally would when you are not pregnant. You will find that you are tired all the time and lose some of the energy that you normally have. Some women may even experience fatigue and weight gain. If you notice any of these symptoms you should contact your doctor so that he can perform a thyroid hormone initiation test to determine if this is what is causing your fatigue.
The results from these tests will help your doctor determine the best course of action for treatment. Your thyroid levels should fall into the normal range. Your test results will show a low thyroid hormone level but the tests will also show free thyroid hormones. These free thyroid hormones will help your doctor to decide if you should get treatment with thyroxine or if you should try an alternative treatment such as beta-blockers or another type of medication. A complete blood count, serum chemistry analysis, and electrocardiogram are usually performed during a thyroid test. Your results will help determine if you need to continue with your treatment or if you should proceed to other options.