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The thyroid is the small, butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck that produces hormones to regulate your body's metabolism. A drop in thyroid hormone production is called hypothyroidism. When you're hypothyroid, your body processes slow down and change, affecting essentially all the systems in your body.
You can measure your thyroid function with thyroid blood tests. Many labs only look only at thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) to assess thyroid health. Unfortunately, using TSH, a pituitary hormone, offers a limited understanding of how your thyroid is working.
Paloma Health believes it's important to have a comprehensive picture of what's happening with your thyroid health in order to make specific improvements. In addition to tthe TSH test, Paloma measures free triiodothyronine (free T3), free thyroxine (free T4), and thyroid peroxidases (TPO) antibodies to fully understand your thyroid status. Each test offers a crucial piece of information that can help tailor a treatment plan to optimize your thyroid function.
What does a full thyroid panel include?
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
The pituitary gland produces thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in the brain. The primary job of TSH is as a messenger hormone that regulates the amount of thyroid hormones—thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3)—produced by your thyroid gland. While TSH is the standard test most doctors use to diagnose and manage thyroid conditions, it won't provide detailed information on the actual thyroid hormone levels circulating in your bloodstream.
Free T4 (free T4)
The thyroid produces two hormones: thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). T4 is primarily inactive. Its acts as a "storage hormone," and must be converted into the active T3 hormone before your body can use it to get energy or deliver oxygen to cells. This conversion process happens primarily in the liver. "Free" T4 refers to the portion of T4 that is not bound to proteins, meaning it is available for the body to use. This is different from total T4, which includes both bound and free or available thyroxine.
Free T3 (free T3)
T3 is the active version of the thyroid hormone. T3 circulates in the bloodstream, both bound and not bound to protein. The free (unbound) T3 is what is able to enter cells and help oxygen and energy reach tissues, organs, and glands. Free T3 is different from total T3 because it measures only the unbound, biologically active form of the hormone available for use by cells.
TPO antibodies
Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies are autoantibodies that target thyroid peroxidase, an enzyme crucial for the production of thyroid hormones. The presence of TPO antibodies indicates that the immune system is mistakenly attacking the thyroid, leading to inflammation and potential dysfunction. If you have high TPO levels, it may indicate Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Hashimoto's is an autoimmune condition in which your immune system attacks your thyroid and eventually causes hypothyroidism. Hashimoto's is actually the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. It's essential to include TPO antibodies in a complete thyroid test because you could have high TPO levels but still have normal TSH levels, and early detection may help slow its progression.
Reverse T3
Reverse T3 is a byproduct of T4 metabolism. It is an inactive form of T3—meaning that reverse T3 cannot carry out the same metabolic activities as T3. Reverse T3 may be an adaptive mechanism to benefit the body in certain situations where you don't want to have as much thyroid hormone activity at the tissue level. For example, if a patient is undergoing extreme stress, trauma, surgery, or malnutrition, reverse T3 may be a valuable marker.
A complete thyroid test panel
The Paloma Health Home Thyroid Test Kit is designed to assess thyroid function by measuring these four key hormone levels. This panel tests for TSH, Free T3, Free T4 and TPO antibodies. You can also add reverse T3 and Vitamin D tests to the basic 4-test panel. Paloma's test kit offers a convenient and accessible way to monitor thyroid health without the need for in-person doctor visits, lab appointments, or venous blood draws. Using a nearly painless finger stick and bloodspot technology, the the Paloma test panel offers accurate certified results. With the option for a telemedicine consultation with a Paloma practitioner, you can better understand your thyroid health and take proactive steps toward managing thyroid-related symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, or brain fog.
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Download Sample Thyroid Test Results
Not sure what to expect from the Paloma Health at-home thyroid test? Enter your email and we’ll send you sample results to give you a sense of what yours could look like .
A note from Paloma Health
Should your results indicate that your thyroid is underactive, it is treatable with thyroid hormone replacement medication. When choosing thyroid medication with your doctor, remember that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment. We recommend that you work with an experienced provider who can assess your symptoms, history, and lab results to determine the best treatment plan to optimize your thyroid function.
Learn more
You can learn more about thyroid blood tests here at the Paloma blog:
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