TSH stands for thyroid stimulating hormone. A TSH test is a blood test that measures this hormone. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located near your throat. Your thyroid makes hormones that regulate the way your body uses energy. It also plays an important role in regulating your weight, body temperature, muscle strength, and even your mood. TSH is made in a gland in the brain called the pituitary. When thyroid levels in your body are low, the pituitary gland makes more TSH. When thyroid levels are high, the pituitary gland makes less TSH. TSH levels that are too high or too low can indicate your thyroid isn't working correctly.
Other names: thyrotropin test
To diagnose thyroid disorders and to monitor treatments.
Testing should be done if there are symptoms of thyroid disease present, and if you have a goiter (an enlarged thyroid) or a thyroid nodule. Testing should be done to monitor the effectiveness of thyroid disorder treatment.
A TSH test is sometime used to screen newborns for congenital hypothyroidism. However, there is no medical community consensus as to whether screening for adults should be done.
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