How to Check Your Thyroid at Home

While you can do a basic neck self-exam, blood tests are the only reliable way to check thyroid function.

Neck Self-Exam

• Stand in front of a mirror with neck extended
• Tilt head back and swallow water
• Watch for lumps or bulges moving with swallow
• Feel the area below the Adam's apple for nodules

Symptom Checklist

• Unexplained weight changes
• Persistent fatigue
• Temperature sensitivity
• Hair loss
• Mood changes
• Heart rate changes

What Self-Checks Cannot Do

• Cannot measure hormone levels
• Cannot detect early dysfunction
• Cannot replace TSH blood testing

The Only Reliable Test

• TSH blood test — simple, accurate, no fasting required