Hormone Testing
Hormone Testing can be a valuable assessment tool for patients who have been told they are estrogen dominant, or who are suffering from effects of PMS, menopause, fibrocystic breast disease, and chronic fatigue. Hormones regulate many different processes in the body and do not work independently of one another. When one hormone is out of balance, other hormones may need to increase or decrease to maintain homeostasis or balance. More women entering menopause are able to deal intelligently and confidently with their hormone changes and supplementation is not a guessing game after hormone testing.
Fortunately we have hormone testing that uses saliva samples to determine hormone levels. There is no blood stick, no wasted time at the lab. Now women and men are able to obtain saliva specimens in their own home, mail it to the lab, and in about 10 days sit adown and go over the results in person.
When it is found that there is an abnormal reading in a level, it usually indicates that one or more glands in the body are deficient or stressed. If that is the case, recommendations are made to increase the productivity of the gland as well as to restore the gland to optimal function. We know that the body has an innate intelligence leaning towards health and balance. By supporting the glands and nurturing them with timely hormone replacement or supplements, they may recover the ability to function on their own.
Once balance is restored to the endocrine glands, the patient feels improvement and the stress of the hormone imbalance on the body is significantly reduced. Usually it takes several weeks to months before function is restored. I t may take longer depending on other factors, such as how long the condition had persisted prior to treatment.
Hormones that can be evaluated through saliva testing include: estradiol, (the active form of estrogen), progesterone, the ratio of estrogen to progesterone, DHEA (precursor to progesterone), testosterone, and cortisol (stress hormone).
An important hormone that can be evaluated through blood test is the thyroid hormone. When an individual has chronic fatigue, depression, thinning hair, brittle nails, or enlarged thyroid it is a good idea to have the thyroid evaluated. We advise also an axillary temperature for 10 days to evaluate the basal temperature in the morning. This is a good way to test thyroid function if symptoms of low thyroid persist despite normal blood tests.
