Blood test to check levels of thyroid hormones
Thyroid function tests are a series of blood tests used to measure how well your thyroid
gland is working. Available tests include the T3, T3RU, T4, and TSH. Thyroid blood
tests are used to tell if your thyroid gland is functioning properly by measuring the
amount of thyroid hormones in your blood. They are done by withdrawing blood from a
vein in your arm. These blood tests help to diagnose thyroid diseases.
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the front part of your neck. Its job is to
produce thyroid hormones, which travel through your bloodstream and regulate many
aspects of your body’s metabolism, including temperature, weight, and energy.
Thyroid blood tests show if you have:
Hyperthyroidism: Overactive thyroid producing more thyroid hormones than your
body needs. Hyperthyroidism speeds up your metabolism, which can cause
weight loss, rapid heartbeat, insomnia, puffiness around the eyes, anxiety and
other symptoms. The most common cause of hyperthyroidism is Graves’
disease.
Hypothyroidism: Underactive thyroid producing too few thyroid hormones.
Hypothyroidism slows down your metabolism, which can cause weight gain,
menstrual irregularity, dry and puffy skin, fatigue and other symptoms. The most
common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s disease.
What result shown the presence of periodic paralysis (Thyroid hormones)
Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis is a sporadic form of hypokalemic periodic paralysis, which
most commonly presents as sudden onset weakness in the proximal muscles. It is a
reversible condition that can be treated with quick replacement of potassium and
normalization of thyroid hormones.
It is commonly seen in Asian men, is characterized by abrupt onset of hypokalemia and
paralysis. The condition primarily affects the lower extremities and is secondary to
thyrotoxicosis. It has been increasingly reported in the USA due to the rise in the
immigrant population. Hypokalemia in TPP results from an intracellular shift of
potassium induced by the thyroid hormone sensitization of Na +/K+–ATPase rather than
depletion of total body potassium.
What is electrocardiogram and how does it works?
An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) records the electrical signal from your heart to
check for different heart conditions. Electrodes are placed on your chest to record your
heart's electrical signals, which cause your heart to beat. The signals are shown as
waves on an attached computer monitor or printer.
The electrodes are connected to an ECG machine by lead wires. The electrical activity
of the heart is then measured, interpreted, and printed out. No electricity is sent into the
body. Natural electrical impulses coordinate contractions of the different parts of the
heart to keep blood flowing the way it should.
What result shown the presence of periodic paralysis ( Electrocardiogarm)
Andersen syndrome includes periodic paralysis, prolongation of the
electrocardiographic QT interval causing susceptibility to cardiac ventricular
arrhythmias, and characteristic physical features including low-set ears, a small jaw,
and malformation of the digits; it is inherited in an autosomal-dominant fashion. The
disease is unique in that it involves the combination of both a skeletal and a cardiac
muscle phenotype and may be caused by mutations in KCNJ2, a gene that encodes
the inward rectifier K+ channel Kir2.1, which is expressed in both cardiac and skeletal
muscles. Kir2.1 is an important contributor to the cardiac inward rectifier K + current, IK1,
which provides substantial current during the repolarization phase of the cardiac action
potential (Plaster et al., 2001).
What is Nerve Conduction and Electromyography and how does it works?
Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction studies are tests that measure the
electrical activity of muscles and nerves. Nerves send out electrical signals to make
your muscles react in certain ways. As your muscles react, they give off these signals,
which can then be measured.
An EMG test looks at the electrical signals your muscles make when they are at
rest and when they are being used.
A nerve conduction study measures how fast and how well the body's
electrical signals travel down your nerves.
EMG tests and nerve conduction studies can both help find out if you have a disorder of
your muscles, nerves, or both. These tests can be done separately, but they are usually
done at the same time.
MG and nerve conduction studies are used to help diagnose a variety of muscle and nerve
disorders. An EMG test helps find out if muscles are responding the right way to nerve signals.
Nerve conduction studies help diagnose nerve damage or disease. When EMG tests and nerve
conduction studies are done together, it helps providers tell if your symptoms are caused by a
muscle disorder or a nerve problem.
What result shown the presence of periodic paralysis (Nerve Conduction and
Electromyography)
EMG during an attack will show myopathic changes (low compound muscle action
potential).22 These features are common to all types of PP. Nerve conduction studies are
essentially normal. EMG in between episodes is particularly useful in hyperKPP where
electrodiagnosis of subclinical myotonia is found in 50-75%, a feature not seen with
hypokalaemia associated periodic paralysis. Potassium is important in nerve
conduction, and in low concentration results in severe paralysis. This is critical if the
respiratory muscles are affected, as death may ensue.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2374768/
https://imotions.com/blog/what-is-ecg/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/veterinary-science-and-veterinary-
medicine/periodic-paralysis
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560670/
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/nerve-
conduction-studies
https://medcraveonline.com/EMIJ/periodic-paralysis-what-clinician-needs-to-
know.html
https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/electromyography-emg-and-nerve-
conduction-studies/
