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Why are thyroid function tests performed?

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Why are thyroid function tests performed?

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Thyroid function tests are used to evaluate the thyroid’s functioning and to diagnose and help determine the cause of thyroid diseases. Sometimes the body produces too much or too little thyroid hormone. Too much thyroid hormone in the bloodstream causes hyperthyroidism, which results in increased metabolic rate, weight loss, sweating, rapid heart rate, and high blood pressure, among other symptoms. Too little thyroid hormone causes hypothyroidism, which slows down bodily functions and leads to fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, and related symptoms. Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are most often caused by autoimmune diseases. Normally, the immune system produces antibodies that defend the body against foreign substances such as bacteria. In autoimmune diseases, however, the immune system produces “autoantibodies” that attack the body’s own healthy cells and tissues—in this case, the thyroid. Graves’ disease is the most common cause of autoimmune hyperthyroidism. Hashimoto’s di

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