HORMONE BALANCING: TESTING
Have you had your hormones tested? Do you remember the time of day or time of month they were tested? Was it blood, saliva or urine? If you’re not doing the right type of sample at the right time your results could be meaningless, and your imbalances could be overlooked.
Hormones act as chemical messengers in your body. They control many different functions, such as your stress response, hunger, metabolism, temperature, mood, and of course your menstrual cycle and fertility. When your hormones become imbalanced your body shows symptoms. These include anything from menstrual irregularities and peri-menopause, to weight gain, acne, low libido, hair loss, abnormal hair growth, constipation, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and plenty more.
Hormonal testing is essential to understanding what is going on below the surface. Many hormonal imbalances have overlapping symptoms, so testing is used to eliminates the guesswork. The key is to know when the testing should be done and what type of testing is required . Proper testing allows us to get to the root cause of your symptoms to get you feeling better, sooner.
TIMING
Both the time of day and time of month matter when it comes to accurately testing your hormones. Progesterone for example needs to be tested 5-7 days after ovulation (day 19-21), versus LH (luteinizing hormone, released from the pituitary gland) needs to be tested on day 3 of you cycle. If you have an irregular cycle, Basal Body Temperature tracking can be used to map out your cycle and ensure we get the most accurate results possible.
TYPE OF TESTING
There are 3 ways hormones can be tested: blood samples, saliva samples, or urine samples. Each has pros and cons associated with them.
BLOOD
Blood testing is great for measuring pituitary function (LH, FSH, and prolactin) and thyroid function, as well as vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron levels, blood sugar and insulin levels. Testing can be done at any Life Labs location. Hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone can also be run via blood but this is not the best choice and won’t show how the hormones are functioning within your body.
SALIVA
Saliva testing can be done using a special kit at home which is then mailed to the lab for evaluation. Hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, and cortisol can all be tested in this manner. Though salivary testing is quite comprehensive there is a lack of information regarding hormone metabolites and detoxification pathways.
URINE
Urine testing is also done using a special kit in the comfort of your own home. Like salivary testing, the samples are then mailed to the lab for evaluation. Dried urine testing provides the most comprehensive results available, including estrogens and their metabolites, progesterone marks, androgens (such as testosterone), cortisol and cortisone curves, DHEA, as well as organic acids and nutritional markers (such as Vitamin B12).
When it comes to your health and your hormones, don’t guess. Find a healthcare provider that will run the proper tests, at the proper time to help uncover the root cause of your symptoms and restore your balance.
Questions about testing and your hormones? Send me an email or book a free 15-minute consult and let’s get started!
