Mood And Energy Levels
Estrogen and progesterone interact with chemicals in your brain to control your mood and your general sense of well-being.
One way progesterone does this is via its metabolite, a compound known as allopregnanolone.
Allopregnanolone works on a particular receptor in your brain called the GABA receptor. It typically has anxiety-busting action and a calming quality similar to the actions of alcohol and other sedative drugs like benzodiazepines.
This can be beneficial and it may make you feel sleepy or a little low energy right before your period. It also contributes to fatigue that’s common during the early part of pregnancy.
For some people, the luteal phase rise in progesterone can cause varying degrees of anxiety and agitation. It is thought that this reaction is caused by a disruption in the processing of allopregnanolone.
How To Check Hormone Levels With Medical Imaging
The organs that produce hormones cannot be observed from the outside of your body. In some cases, ultrasound images or CT scan images can reveal the health of your uterus, ovaries, testicles, pituitary gland, or thyroid gland.
Medical imaging tests are usually the last step in a diagnosis. Your doctor will only request them if your blood tests indicate that there may be cause for concern, or if any abnormal lumps are detected during a medical examination.
Is It Safe To Have Tests During The Pandemic
Dr Aziz-Scott: Its understandable that there is some hesitation about being around others at this time, but we would like to reassure you that your safety is of the utmost importance to us. It is safe to have your blood tests during the pandemic and as per Government advice, it is recommended that you keep any appointments or procedures you have booked.
Recommended Reading: I Give My Husband Female Hormones
I Include A Comprehensive Metabolic Panel In My Hormone Work
A lot of my patients come in taking lots of different supplements and certain herbs, especially Chinese herbs that can actually cause kidney issues. Sometimes, theyre taking so many supplements and so many medications that theyre having liver problems. I need to know their basic metabolic function because I dont want to give them more to take before helping them detoxify.
Why Hormonal Imbalance Blood Testing Makes Sense
Hormones are chemicals that are produced by glands in the endocrine system and play a critical role in regulating bodily functions. Hormones naturally fluctuate as you age, and some hormonal imbalances are to be expected as you transition through various stages of life.
However, hormonal imbalances can also occur at any time and may be indicative of an underlying disease or disorder. Below, learn all about hormones, hormonal imbalances, common endocrine disorders and hormonal testing.
Read Also: Hormone Type 5 Diet Plan Dr Jade
Hormonal Changes In The Menstrual Cycle
For women who have periods, your female hormone levels control the menstrual cycle. Your cycle length is measured from the day your period starts, to the start of your next period. On average the menstrual cycle lasts for 28 days – but your menstrual cycle can last for anywhere between 21 to 40 days.
A blood test can help you to track the hormonal changes which occur during your menstrual cycle.
Health Conditions And Female Hormones
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a condition that stops eggs from developing normally in the ovaries. Symptoms of PCOS include:
- Excessive hair growth
- Irregular or missed periods
- High levels of the male hormone testosterone
Thyroid problems, such as an overactive or underactive thyroid, can also affect the development of eggs in your ovaries and hence affect your hormone levels.
Testing your hormone levels can help you to understand whether a health problem, such as PCOS or a thyroid problem, is leading to hormonal changes in your body.
Also Check: Why Are Bioidentical Hormones Better
Come Armed With Your Own Research
It never hurts to present a physician with your own research on the topic that concerns you. If youve done your homework, feel free to bring along books, studies or other materials on the subject.This can help start the conversation, letting your doctor know that youre informed and serious about getting answers. Another research step you can take is to complete a comprehensive hormonal profile test at home and take the results to your appointment.
Read Also: What Causes Testosterone To Be Low
Treatment For Hormone Imbalance
There are various treatments for a hormonal imbalance, and they depend on what is causing the problem. Common treatments include medication, lifestyle changes, and supplements.
Having a balanced diet, exercise, losing weight, and changing sleeping patterns can help for mild hormone imbalances. Furthermore, vitamins and natural supplements can correct hormone imbalances. Herbs like ginseng and red clover are sometimes effective, as are selenium and vitamin D.
More serious cases of hormonal imbalance can require hormone therapy and medication. In addition to testosterone or estrogen supplements, patients can have thyroid-based hormone therapy, anti-androgen medication, or metformin.
Also Check: Does Melatonin Make You Last Longer In Bed
When To Ask A Doctor About The Perimenopause Blood Test
Women who enter into the perimenopause transitionary phase may experience symptoms which are similar to menopause. This can include hot flashes, tenderness in the breasts, more severe monthly cycles that include heavier bleeding, fatigue, trouble sleeping, mood swings, and changes to their urinary habits. These symptoms can come in any combination, but all women will experience at least one symptom once they enter into a perimenopause state.
It is important to note that women who have entered into this transitionary state may have irregular periods. Other health conditions can also cause irregular periods to occur, however, so a visit to a medical provider is necessary to rule out a more serious condition. Speak to your doctor if your bleeding is heavier than normal, contains blood clots, there is spotting between periods, or you have spotting happen after intercourse.
Bleeding can occur for many reasons. Oral contraceptives are known to cause spotting and bleeding as well.
Testing For A Hormonal Imbalance
There are numerous types of tests for your doctor to choose from in order to detect a hormonal imbalance. Your symptoms will surely put him in the right direction. So, you do need to fully disclose to your doctor about your signs and symptoms for him to order the right hormones to be tested.
A blood test is one of the most common ways to test hormone levels. This test can detect testosterone, estrogen, cortisol, and thyroid levels. You should order a test that’s specific to your gender, as a women’s hormone test will look for different levels of sex hormones than a men’s test. A simple saliva test can detect several types of hormones as well. With a saliva test, you can look at your estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone levels.
If your doctor is concerned about a particular gland in your body, he or she might order an ultrasound. This can be the case of testing the pituitary gland, uterus, testicles, ovaries, and thyroid. An X-ray or MRI will offer further opportunities for imaging. Depending on the results of prior tests, additional types of testing might often be needed to have a better diagnosis. A biopsy of a problematic gland can help your healthcare provider find issues with that specific gland.
Also Check: How Do You Check For Hormonal Imbalance
Blood Tests For Infertility
If youre a woman who is 35 years old or younger and have been unable to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse, or after six months if youre over 35, you and your partner should have afull physical and medical evaluation with a Reproductive Endocrinologist, a doctor who specializes in infertility diagnosis and treatment.
Several blood tests are available to determine if you, your partner, or both of you have a problem that is causing infertility.
Order Lab Panels Offer For The Hormones Balance Community
Magdalena W.: Yeah, lets do that. Like Dr. Alan mentioned, the URL is go.yourlabwork.com/hormonesbalancelabs. We are going to make the URL available in all different places. Just before I show you the labs, just want to share that its a really simple ordering process. You order them online with the link down below here. You go to the local quest lab, which has got over 4,000 locations throughout the country. Then, you get the results online within 48 hours, really as simple as that, just absolutely wonderful. No need to see a doctor, no need to argue why you want to have those labs done. We always get a lot of questions of what about us Canadians, what about us in the UK. We cant help you with this.
Alan Hopkins: Yeah, yeah, absolutely cheat sheets. Ill talk about those in a minute. We have cheat sheets for people to try and make it easier for them.
I dont need to read that. This is a great starting point, especially if you have already done a lot of things in the past. We basically repackage the panels into three options here. If you feel like maybe you want to just pick and choose what you want, there is always an option of that. I love this website for that. You could just basically click on what would you like to order, and then go and add it to cart, and then check it out. Everything that Dr. Alan has covered is all in here. I didnt even see that. We have even exposure. This is heavy metal testing here, right?
Alan Hopkins: Yes.
Recommended Reading: How To Have Your Hormones Checked
Female Hormone Analysis: What Should Normal Hormone Levels Be
A blood hormone test is a useful tool to study the levels of the female hormones responsible for regulating the female ovarian cycle. It can help us to determine the potential fertility of a woman.
The main hormones that are anaylzed in women check are: FSH, LH, estradiol, progesterone, AMH, prolactin, and TSH.
Along with a transvaginal ultrasound scan, a female hormone check up allows us to predict the status of a woman’s ovarian reserve. This blood test is therefore a highly useful tool when it comes to determining the egg count of a woman and if the woman is ovulating adequately.
Provided below is an index with the 8 points we are going to expand on in this article.
Signs Of Hormone Imbalance In Women
So often we attribute our body’s changes incorrectly. As women progress through life, the body responds differently, and it plays out in a number of ways.
1- Estrogen Imbalance
Estrogen is made by your ovaries, your adrenal glands, and to a much lesser extent, by your fat cells. It has many functions, including:
- Maintaining Bone Calcium
- Regulating HDL and LDL Cholesterol in Blood
- Helping Maintain Blood Sugar Levels
- Helping with Memory
- Balancing Emotions
Estrogen imbalance can cause numerous symptoms which will depend on whether you are experiencing an overabundance of the hormone or less of it. The causes and signs can be discerned, but they take a watchful eye. Too little estrogen is often caused by:
- Hypopituitarism
- Failed Pregnancy
3- Testosterone Imbalance
Testosterone is not just a male sex hormone. Women also have lesser amounts of this hormone. It is produced by your ovaries and adrenal glands. Testosterone has the important function of aiding you by protecting you against developing osteoporosis. It has many other effects on your health, including sex drive, mood, energy levels and body fat percentage.
If you have too much testosterone in your body, such as when you have a condition called polycystic ovary syndrome, you could experience:
- Irregular Periods
- Increased Body or Facial Hair
Too little testosterone often occurs during menopause and can lower your sex drive, cause depression, weakness of your muscles and fatigue.
You May Like: What Hormone Causes Weight Gain In Menopause
Natural Levels Of Male Hormones Throughout Life
The main sex hormones found in both sexes are testosterone and estradiol. While women have more estradiol than testosterone, the opposite is true for men testosterone is the dominant hormone in males.
Considering testosterone and estradiol are essential for reproduction, it shouldnt come as a surprise that the peak age range for testosterone in males is ages 20-50. After 50, you see a steady decline in testosterone levels.
So for males, there are 3 main life stages for testosterone: puberty , fertile and active years , and andropause .
Fsh And Ovarian Reserve
In women who want to become pregnant later in life, FSH levels are used to test ovarian reserve . Your healthcare provider will have blood work drawn on the third day of your menstrual cycle. The results are typically available within 24 hours depending on the lab.
Based on the results of the lab studies, a fertility specialist will be able to estimate your likelihood of getting pregnant even if you are approachingmenopause.
Baseline FSH levels will increase as women enter perimenopause, indicating a decreasing number of oocytes . Perimenopause lasts four years on average and ends when a woman has not had a period in 12 months.
At that point, menopause begins. FSH levels at menopause are consistently elevated to 30 mIU/mL and above.
Read Also: How Can I Find Out My Hormone Type
Why Is Weight Loss Recommended For Women With Certain Hormonal Imbalances
In women with hormonal imbalances, excess weight can make the symptoms worse. Medical professionals recommend weight loss to help women control their symptoms and reduce their discomfort. For women with fertility problems, excess weight can also make it more difficult to conceive. Losing weight is recommended to give a woman the best possible chance of having a baby.
How Do Hormone Tests Work
The simplicity of at-home hormone tests makes them an easy, effective option. After ordering your test, a box will arrive with thorough instructions to collect testing samples.
Depending on the test selected, youll be asked to take a urine sample or blood sample using a finger pricking tool.
Once you finish your test, youll ship your results to a lab for review. Results are typically provided online between 2 and 5 business days after the samples reach the lab.
You May Like: How To Get Rid Of Hormonal Cystic Acne On Chin
How To Check Hormone Levels At Home
The FDA is very reluctant to grant approval to home hormone level testing kits. Before purchasing any at-home medical testing kit, you should check to verify FDA approval. If the kit isnt approved, its likely not useful.
Many at-home test kits utilize saliva samples and saliva tests, as well as urine tests, which are both not as accurate when compared to the results of traditional medical testing methods like bloodwork. This is especially true when testing for hormones like follicle-stimulating hormone , which increases during menopause, and cortisol levels, which are higher during times of stress.
Even if you do use an at-home kit, your doctor usually will not accept the kits findings as fact. Youll generally still need to undergo at least one additional test done in one of the previous standard methods.
Hormone level testing kits can be wrong in either direction. They may allude to a problem that doesnt exist, or miss a significant concern. Its best to avoid using them and speak directly with your doctor if you have concerns about hormone levels.
One of the best things you can do at home is keep a journal of your symptoms. Your detailed documentation of what youre experiencing and when you experience it can help to point your doctor in the right direction. The more information your doctor has, the better they will be able to compose a treatment plan that meets your unique needs.
Why Cortisol Testing Is Important
Cortisol testing is important because that system does not always function in the normal, healthy manner outlined above. Sometimes cortisone levels can stay too high for too long, which can have far-reaching effects on your health, such as:
- Problems with memory and/or concentration
Issues That Can Cause Abnormally High Cortisol Levels include:
1- Chronic stress: The bodys natural fight-or-flight stress response system is set up to manage short-term stress situations. Stress in todays world is often a longer-term health issue. Rather than being stressed by a sudden encounter with a predator, a situation that can be resolved quickly by running away, we are more likely to face ongoing problems that cause stress, like job pressures, for instance, or financial ones. This can cause long-term activation of the stress response system, leading to chronically high levels of cortisol.
2- Problems with the pituitary gland: Tumors on the pituitary gland or excess growth of the gland can cause it to release too much ACTH, increasing cortisol levels.
3- Problems with adrenal glands: Tumors on the adrenal glands can cause overproduction of cortisol.
4- Other tumors: Growths in other areas of the body can increase cortisol production.
5- Medications: Overuse of corticosteroid medications or long-term use of them can lead to abnormally high cortisol levels.
Don’t Miss: What Helps Balance Female Hormones
How To Check Hormone Levels Easily
The Everlywell at-home Women’s Health test is the most comprehensive panel for a complete look at all the hormones that are critical to a women’s well-being. This hormone imbalance test checks your female hormone levels so you can discover if your levels are too high or low compared to reference ranges.
Our Womenâs Health test is taken in your own home, and results are provided by an experienced, CLIA-certified laboratory. At a low price for all of these tests, this is the perfect starting point for those wanting to take a first step in assessing their own hormone levels before turning to more expensive, difficult, or complex alternatives.
What Are Hormone Blood Tests Used For
Most commonly, a lab test for hormonal imbalance is ordered based on reported symptoms, including hot flashes, irregular periods, infertility, or loss of libido, among others.
These symptoms that might require hormonal blood work are generally indicative of various conditions, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome , thyroid disease, diabetes, obesity, and more.
Also Check: What Hormones Does Mirena Have
Read Also: Does Doxycycline Help With Hormonal Acne