Fasting is not always required to check the thyroid. If you are checking thyroid function, you may choose to have blood drawn on an empty stomach; if you are checking thyroid ultrasound, you usually do not need to have a fasting test.
Methods of checking the thyroid gland include thyroid ultrasound, thyroid palpation, and thyroid function.
Thyroid function test is best to draw blood on an empty stomach, although these indicators are not affected by eating like blood sugar, but some special groups of people need to draw blood in a special state, such as pregnant thyroid disease and thyroid cancer patients, it is necessary to draw blood in the same state of the patient, which can increase the reliability of the results of the test, and is conducive to the comparison of the results of each test, which is more beneficial to the patient.
Thyroid ultrasound is mainly to check the size and shape of the thyroid gland, whether there are thyroid cysts and nodules, etc. It is not affected by factors such as eating and does not require fasting. Palpation of the thyroid gland and thyroid puncture biopsy also do not require fasting.
Whether or not a thyroid examination requires fasting is related to the items to be examined and needs to be decided in the light of the specific condition. For thyroid related problems, it is recommended to go to the Department of Endocrinology or the Department of Nail and Breast Surgery in the hospital for further diagnosis and treatment.