What is an Anti-Thyroid Antibody Test?

 The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland located near the throat. It makes hormones in our body and regulates many bodily functions. It plays an important role in regulating a person’s muscle strength, weight, body temperature, and mood. The anti-thyroid antibody test helps diagnose autoimmune disorders of the thyroid gland. It aids doctors in analyzing the level of thyroid antibodies in an individual’s blood. Many reputed diagnostic centers offer anti-thyroid antibody tests at reasonable prices.

Antibodies are proteins that the immune system makes to battle foreign substances like viruses and bacteria. These antibodies can sometimes attack the healthy cells of a person’s tissues and organs. There are different types of thyroid antibodies present in the body. An anti-thyroid antibody test measures one or more of the following types of antibodies, which target specific parts of the thyroid gland, such as:


  1. Thyroid peroxidase (TPO)

  2. Thyroglobulin (Tg) 

  3. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor. 



Autoimmune Disorders Affecting the Thyroid


If these antibodies attack a person’s immune system, it can cause the following auto-immune disorders. 


  1. Hashimoto’s Disease

Also known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, it is the most common cause of an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism. It happens when the thyroid gland is inflamed and unable to make sufficient hormones required for important functions of the body. The symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease are feeling tired or sluggish, becoming exceptionally sensitive to cold, gaining weight, pain in the body or joints, and depression.


  1. Graves’ Disease

It is a type of hyperthyroidism in which the antibodies cause the cells in the thyroid gland to work more than required. An overactive thyroid develops unrequired amounts of hormones and releases them into the bloodstream. Due to this, all functions of the body tend to speed up. Some signs of Graves’ disease are anxiety and irritability, bulging eyes, sensitivity to heat, unexplainable amount of weight loss, shivering hands and fingers, lethargy, and a fast or irregular heartbeat.


An anti-thyroid anti-body test is prescribed by doctors to detect these disorders and other medical conditions related to the thyroid gland. It is best to choose a reputed diagnostic center for accurate and genuine test results. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Types of Hepatitis – A Brief Understanding

Image
  Hepatitis is a medical condition that occurs due to internal swelling or inflammation in the liver. This inflammation arises due to an excessive intake of alcohol and drugs and exposure to certain chemicals, viruses, autoimmune hepatitis, etc. By taking a well- price d liver function test ( LFT ), it is possible to confirm if an individual has hepatitis or not. Following are the types of hepatitis that one should know about. Hepatitis A Hepatitis A is a short-term or acute illness that transmits through the faucal-oral route. If an infected person does not wash well after using the loo, the disease can be contracted by others. Apart from this, eating shellfish that comes from contaminated water can also cause this type of hepatitis. Hepatitis B The main cause of hepatitis B is when the person gets infected by the hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B can be of two types, namely, acute or chronic, depending on the duration of the disease. People infected with chronic hepatitis B are at a h
Read more

Everything to Know About ANA (Antinuclear Antibody) Test

Image
  The immune system makes antibodies to fight infection, viruses, bacteria, etc. However, sometimes the immune system incorrectly identifies the person’s cells as foreign invaders and attacks them. It makes autoantibodies, a special antibody that damages cells and tissues in the body. If left untreated, autoantibodies can damage skin, joints, muscles, and many other parts of the body. The  ANA test  is used to look for autoantibodies or antinuclear antibodies in the blood. It helps doctors to detect some autoimmune diseases. Here is more about the ANA (Antinuclear Antibody) test. Why the ANA Test is Done? The ANA test is used for detecting any autoimmune disorders in a person’s body. It helps in the identification of diverse conditions, like: Scleroderma – It is a rare disease affecting the blood, skin, organs, and vessels.  Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) – It is a common type of Lupus – a chronic disease affecting diverse parts of the body such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, skin
Read more