Ever felt like your body is running out of fuel even after taking proper rest? That could be your thyroid, a tiny gland that has a massive impact on your mood, weight, energy, and so on.
But, before you diagnose yourself (come on, we all have been there), a simple TSH test can be the first step to understanding your thyroid gland activity.
In this article on TSH test costs in Bangladesh, we will dive in-depth to learn about thyroid disorders. Also, we will discuss the possible solutions to get you back to optimal and balanced health. So, keep the guesswork aside, and let’s dive into an informative journey of thyroid health.
What is a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test?
A TSH is a simple and reliable blood test to check whether your butterfly-shaped gland performs its duty or not.TSH is mainly produced by the pituitary gland, which acts as a conductor of the thyroid gland.
Like , the pituitary gland sends signals to the thyroid gland to speed up or slow down your thyroid hormone. Based on the signals , your thyroid produces hormones to boost your energy.
For example, if your TSH level is high, it indicates that your thyroid gland is not producing enough hormones (hypothyroidism). Similarly, if your TSH level is low, your thyroid hormone is pumping out more thyroid hormones(hyperthyroidism).
What Preparations to take TSH Test
You don’t have to take any preparations for thyroid testing unless your doctor suggests some other blood test, too.
Importance of a TSH test
Thyroid testing bears great importance in diagnosis of unwanted bodily symptoms. Also, It helps to take early intervention.
Apart from that, it helps in monitoring your thyroid level if you have existing thyroid disorders. Also, it may detect one of the most common reasons for repetitive pregnancy loss.
You should do this test if you notice the following symptoms:
- If you feel constantly tired even after resting,
- Unexplained weight change, such as gain or loss of weight.
- Intolerance to heat or cold
- Difficulty in concentrating on study or work.
- Mood changes: Irritable or anxious
- Palpitations
- Skin or hair change
- Changes in bowel movements: Constipation or diarrhea.
Apart from that, you should do this test if you are pregnant or you have a close relative with thyroid problems.
TSH Test Price in Bangladesh
TSH test cost depends on which diagnostic center you’re going to. The range varies from 200-1100 BDT.
| Non-Govt. Hospital | Cost |
| Ibn Sina Diagnostic & Imaging Center | 600BDT |
| Islami Bank Central Hospital | |
| Popular Diagnostic Centre Ltd | 700BDT |
| Healthcare Diagnostic Center Ltd | |
| BIRDEM General Hospital | 900 BDT |
| ICDDR,B | 950 BDT |
| Labaid Ltd. (Diagnostics) | 1100 BDT |
You can also do TSH at affordable price from these institutions:
| Govt.Hospital | Cost |
| National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Center | 200 BDT |
| Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital | |
| Dhaka Medical College Hospital | |
| Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital | 300 BDT |
| National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh | 800 BDT |
What is the usual range of TSH Test ?
The usual range of TSH depends on Age, sex, pregnancy, and medical conditions :
| Age group | TSH range |
| Newborns | 2.0-10.0 mIU/L |
| Infants (up to 2 years old) | 0.7-7.0 mIU/L |
| Children and adolescents | 0.4-4.0 mIU/L |
| Adults | 0.4-4.5 mIU/L |
| Older adults | 0.5-5.0 mIU/L |
| Pregnant women (trimester 1) | 0.2-3.0 mIU/L |
| Pregnant women (trimester 2) | 0.3-4.0 mIU/L |
| Pregnant women (trimester 3) | 0.2-3.0 mIU/L |
What causes TSH levels to rise?
There are several reasons for which the TSH level spikes up in your blood. It mainly indicates that your thyroid hormone is underactive ,medically it is termed as hypothyroidism. Now What are the probable causes of hypothyroidism?
Primary causes :
–Autoimmune thyroiditis :
- Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Just imagine your body’s defense system as an army that works to protect you from invaders. But in this situation, this protective system mistakenly attacks your thyroid gland, leading to hypothyroidism.
- Spontaneous Atrophic hypothyroidism
- Graves disease with TSH receptor-blocking antibodies
- Iatrogenic
- Radioactive iodine Ablation
- Thyroidectomy
- Drugs: Carbimazole, Methimazole, Propylthiouracil, Amiodarone, Lithium.
- -Transient thyroiditis
- -Iodine deficiency
- -Congenital
- -Infiltrative
Common Thyroid Disorders
Thyroid problems have a significant impact on our day-to-day life. Like, if you talk to people, they will say they feel weak for no reason.
Some of them may gain weight without even eating so much, the contrary may also happen – weight loss where some may tell that they notice palpitation, hoarseness of voice, and increasing the size of the thyroid gland.
So, having a decent idea about the common thyroid problem may help you to know why these symptoms are happening. Below we will discuss them one by one.
1. Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a condition when your body produces a decreased amount of thyroid hormone. It is more common in women than men.
People with hypothyroidism may develop the following symptoms: fatigue, cold intolerance, weight gain, joint and muscle pain, slowed heart rate, depression, and heavy or irregular menstrual periods.
2. Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism is a condition when your thyroid gland produces too many thyroid hormones.This condition boosts up your body’s metabolic process. People with this condition may experience weight loss, faster heart beat, increased hunger, heat intolerance, and lots more.
3. Goiter
Goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid gland. Only enlargement of the thyroid gland is not dangerous unless it indicates thyroid cancer.
People who have this condition may notice fullness in the neck,difficulty swallowing and breathing ,coughing, and voice change. The cause of this condition is mainly iodine deficiency.
4. Thyroid nodules
Here, a small, noncancerous lump develops in your thyroid gland. You may notice an enlarged thyroid gland, hoarseness of voice, pain in the neck, difficulty breathing, and difficulty swallowing.
5. Thyroid cancer
It occurs between 30 to 60 years of Age. A biopsy may require categorizing the appearance of the tumor cells. Unlike other cancers, thyroid cancer is slowly growing and has an excellent prognosis.
They are mostly asymmetric, but some may experience pain, difficulty swallowing, and voice change.
What are the early warning signs of thyroid problems?
Early warning signs of thyroid problems vary depending upon the overproduction or underproduction of hormones. Below, you will see the warning signs of thyroid problems :
- Lack of Energy, feeling of tiredness
- Sudden weight loss or gain
- Mood swings: irritability, anxiety or depression
- Insomnia or excessive sleep
- Dry skin
- Hair loss
- Muscle weakness
- Increased or decreased heart rate
- Heavy bleeding or lighter bleeding during menstruation
- Enlarged thyroid gland
How is high TSH treated?
Basically, we will discuss the treatment of hypothyroidism here. But don’t take this medicine without any physical consultation with your doctor.
Well, Keep in mind that treatment of high TSH is a lifelong process. Levothyroxine is the treatment of choice here.
The average replacement dose for it is 1.6 μg/kg. In the case of young individuals, physicians usually start with a full dose.
However, in older individuals, they started with a low dose of around 50 μg/kg for 3 weeks before commencing the full dose.
You should take it once a day as the half-life of this drug is 7 days. Tell the patient to come for a follow-up with a TSH report after 10 weeks.
How is low TSH treated?
A low TSH level indicates an overactive thyroid, medically termed hyperthyroidism
Treatment options for this conditions are :
| Traits | E.g |
| Antithyroid medications | Methimazole and PTU (propylthiouracil) |
| Radioactive iodine therapy | cap or liquid containing radioactive iodine -131 |
| Surgery | In severe cases ,it may be necessary to remove all or part of the thyroid gland. |
| Beta blockers | Atenolol, alprenolol, and metoprolol |
Other thyroid test
TSH is the first line of investigation to detect the status of your thyroid. There are other tests, too, which the doctor recommends alongside the TSH; they are T4 (Thyroxine) and T3 (Triiodothyronine). Let’s discuss the:
T4 (Thyroxine)
This mainly stores hormones produced by the tiny thyroid gland. It also helps you to detect hypo and hyperthyroidism.
This primary hormone circulates in your bloodstream, combines with protein, and thus remains in the storage form.
Only a small amount converts into t3, which is the active form. High T4 level indicates that your thyroid is producing excess hormones leading to hyperthyroidism. Whereas low T4 suggests hypothyroidism.
But ,this test has some limitations. Like, medications or severity of illness can affect the result. It doesn’t give an accurate count of active T3 in your body.
T3 (Triiodothyronine)
This is the active form and has more diagnostic value than T4. It could help you to reach a diagnosis in the following conditions :
- When TSH and T4 results are unclear
- Clinically, you have symptoms, but the TSH and T4 reports are standard.
- When you’re on thyroid medications
This test also has some limitations. Its result fluctuated more than T4 in different conditions e.g. stress, illness, and starvation.
Summary
TSH is generally preferred for initial screening of thyroid function due to its reliability and stability. T4 will help in further assessment, but T3 will provide diagnostic confirmation.
T3 and T4 normal range with interpretations
Below we discuss the general range of these hormone levels. It can vary too, so combining T4 with TSH gives the best result to come to a correct diagnosis.
| Hormone | Normal Range | Possible Interpretations (Consult doctor for specific diagnosis) |
| FT3 (Free Triiodothyronine) | 2.7 – 9.7 pmol/L (or 3.1 – 6.8 pg/mL | 1.Within Range: Indicates normal thyroid function. 2.Above Range (Hyperthyroidism): May suggest hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) causing symptoms like weight loss, anxiety, rapid heartbeat. 3.Below Range (Hypothyroidism): May suggest hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) causing symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, feeling cold. |
| T4 (Thyroxine) | Total T4: 5.0 – 12.0 μg/dL (or 64 – 154 nmol/L) Free T4 (preferred test): Adults : 0.7 – 1.9 ng/dL (or 10 – 28 pmol/L)New born : 2.16-5.25Infants :(.77-2.32 ng/dl)Children : (.77-2.08 ng/dl) | 1.Total T4: Used less often due to potential influence by binding proteins. 2.Free T4 (preferred test): Within Range: Indicates normal thyroid function. 3.Above Range (Hyperthyroidism): Similar to FT3, may suggest hyperthyroidism. 4.Below Range (Hypothyroidism): Similar to FT3, may suggest hypothyroidism. |
T3 and t4 test price in Bangladesh
Similar to the TSH test, the price of T3 and T4 also depends on the diagnostic center, location and additional charges.
| Diagnostic Center Type | Diagnostic Center Name | T3 Test Price (BDT) | T4 Test Price (BDT) |
| Government | Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital | Not Available* | 250-300 |
| Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) | Not Available* | 200-250 | |
| National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Center (NILMRC) | Not Available* | 200 | |
| Non-Government | Popular Diagnostic Centre Ltd. | 1000 | 1200 |
| Ibn Sina Diagnostic & Imaging Center | Not Available* | 600 | |
| Labaid Ltd. (Diagnostics) | Not Available* | 1100 | |
| Aushfia Diagnostic Center | Not Available* | Not Available* |
As you can see ,T3 price is not included here ,We added their helpline so can you take info from them.
| Hospital name (govt) | Help line |
| National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Center (NILMRC) | +88029713044 |
| Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital | +88028753021 |
| Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) | +88023335337 |
Final takeaway
Having an overview of TSH test costs in Bangladesh ,decent understanding of common thyroid disorders , and their treatment, now you can take charge of your health and well-being. Keep in mind that early diagnosis is the key!
So, if you suspect that you can have any of the thyroid disorders, don’t delay consulting with your doctor. The right diagnosis and prompt treatment may save you from further damage. Also, it will help you to get back to your new normal life soon.
