TSH and Thyroid Hormones (fT3, fT4, anti-TPO)

Hypothyroidism

One of the most common hormonal disorders, especially in women — it slows metabolism and is often mistaken for chronic fatigue or 'ordinary' weight gain.

How to Read a Basic Blood Test Panel

CBC, lipid panel, glucose, TSH — how to read the results of a basic blood panel so you catch early signals of a problem before it becomes a disease.

Ferritin

An iron-storage protein whose blood level is the best available indicator of the body's iron stores — though it can be falsely elevated by inflammation, which complicates straightforward interpretation.

Vitamin B12

The only vitamin the body can store in the liver for years — yet its deficiency is often mistaken for dementia, depression or plain fatigue, because neurological changes can precede any abnormality in a standard blood count by years.

Liver Panel (ALT, AST, GGT, Bilirubin)

Four entries on a lab printout — ALT, AST, GGT, and bilirubin — can reveal liver damage before any symptoms appear, as long as you know how to tell a hepatocellular pattern apart from a cholestatic one.

Creatinine and eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate)

Creatinine alone tells you surprisingly little about kidney function — only converting it into eGFR using the CKD-EPI equation reveals how much filtration capacity actually remains.

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

The most commonly ordered laboratory test in the world — a seemingly simple printout hides information about immunity, oxygen transport, and blood clotting, if you know what to look for.

Electrolytes: Sodium, Potassium, and Chloride

Sodium, potassium, and chloride sound like a chemistry-class topic, but their blood levels determine how your heart, muscles, and kidneys function — and even a small deviation can be an urgent warning sign.

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: Symptoms, Causes, and How Treatment Works

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in countries with adequate iodine intake — an autoimmune condition in which the immune system gradually damages the thyroid gland itself. We explain how diagnosis actually works, why finding TPO antibodies isn't the same as having a disease that needs treatment, and what genuinely helps versus what's just marketing.

September 21, 2026

Tired After 8 Hours of Sleep: Why You Wake Up Unrefreshed

Do you sleep eight hours and still feel as if you had not slept at all? Sleep duration is only one dimension of rest. Whether you wake refreshed also depends on sleep quality and continuity, timing, any breathing or movement disorders at night, and illnesses and deficiencies that tire you regardless of hours in bed. We explain what to check first, which tests make sense and when the symptom needs a doctor.

October 17, 2026

Night Sweats: Causes and When to See a Doctor

Do you wake up drenched in sweat and wonder whether it is something serious? In the vast majority of cases night sweats have a benign cause: a bedroom that is too warm, menopause, sleep apnea or a medication. But they can also be the first sign of infection, an overactive thyroid or lymphoma. We explain how to tell benign sweats from worrying ones, what research shows and which accompanying symptoms call for a quick consultation.

October 17, 2026

High MCV (Macrocytosis): Causes Beyond Vitamin B12 Deficiency

An MCV above 100 fL is macrocytosis, meaning large red blood cells. The most common causes are alcohol, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency and drugs, but the list is longer: liver disease, an underactive thyroid, myelodysplastic syndromes, reticulocytosis after bleeding or haemolysis and sometimes an artefact. We explain how to tell megaloblastic from non-megaloblastic causes, what to order in sequence and when to see a haematologist.

October 21, 2026

Hand Tremor: Causes (Physiological, Essential, Drugs, Thyroid) and When to See a Neurologist

Shaky hands are usually not the start of Parkinson's disease. More often they reflect an enhanced physiological tremor (coffee, stress, lack of sleep, medicines, an overactive thyroid) or essential tremor, the most common action tremor in adults. What decides the diagnosis is not the tremor itself but its pattern: whether it appears at rest or during movement and posture, which side is worse, and whether other symptoms come with it. We explain how to tell these types apart, what the guidelines say about propranolol and primidone, and when to book a neurologist.

November 3, 2026

Always Feeling Cold (Cold Intolerance): Causes and Tests

Feeling cold when others are warm is often just a personal trait, but a persistent, new or worsening sense of cold can point to an underactive thyroid, iron deficiency and anaemia, too low a body weight or energy deficit, and sometimes circulation problems. Cold intolerance is a non-specific symptom, so the diagnosis rests on tests, not on the sensation alone. We present what research says about the thyroid, iron, energy deficit and differences between women and men, which tests are worth ordering and when the symptom needs prompt consultation.

November 3, 2026

Hoarseness Lasting Over 3 Weeks: Causes and When You Need a Laryngoscopy

Hoarseness (dysphonia) that does not clear up after a few weeks is a signal to look at the larynx, not just to wait it out or treat blindly. According to the American otolaryngology guideline, laryngoscopy should be done when a voice disorder does not resolve or improve within 4 weeks, and immediately when a serious cause is suspected. We explain what causes persistent hoarseness (voice misuse, nodules and polyps, laryngopharyngeal reflux, vocal fold paralysis, the thyroid, smoking, cancer), why the guideline advises against antireflux drugs before the larynx has been looked at, and what voice therapy offers.

October 29, 2026

Spotting between periods: causes and when to get tested

Spotting between periods is surprisingly common: in a British cohort study almost one woman in four aged 40-54 reported it within two years, and in most cases nothing serious was found. The usual explanations are the dip in estradiol around ovulation, hormonal contraception or an intrauterine device, a polyp or a change on the cervix, an infection, or hormonal swings in perimenopause. Some situations do need a prompt check: pregnancy, bleeding after menopause, repeated spotting or spotting after sex, pain and general symptoms. We explain how to tell spotting from bleeding, what the data say about cancer risk and which tests are done in which order.

October 29, 2026